Silence in Black and White
by Xx-Synthetic-Cyanide-xX
Summary: In a world under strict Plasma dictatorship, all teenagers are faced with a choice; follow the rules, or face the consequences. As the growing rebellion draws closer, Nate has to make a life changing decision that could ultimately risk everything he has ever loved. Follow the rules, or join the Rebel Forces.
1. Chapter 1

**Silence in Black and White**

**Author's Note: I have returned, with a brand new story! It's a sort of AU based on the Pokemon Black and White 2 games, where Unova is ruled by Team Plasma. Just an idea I come up with, so I hope you guys enjoy it! There will be future pairings, mainly yaoi, and lots of emotional bumps along the way. Sit back and enjoy the ride folks!**

**Disclaimer: Yeah...still don't own Pokemon...sadly**

* * *

**Chapter One**

They say that all rules are meant to be broken, no matter how serious they are, or how important. Of course, that isn't so simple when you live in a world governed by fanatics, who seemed to fabricate the rules as they go along. No obvious direction to their schemes, just whatever works at that time.

Team Plasma: the new age of liberation. _Or so they thought._

Convincing the entire region to release all their Pokemon for the greater good was a doomed idea from the start, so their pompous leader; Ghetsis, had other ideas. He created a sadistic world. where people were 'allowed' to keep their Pokemon, under certain conditions. You now had to specialise in a particular type; for example: if you liked Grass Pokemon then you specialised in that field, you had no other option.

Of course, nobody wanted to live this way. We don't have a choice. It's either Team Plasma's laws, or banishment, and perhaps uncertain death. The joys of being alive in today's society.

Well, today was the day. The day I turned sixteen, and the day I can actually make this gruelling choice on what I wanted to specialise in for the rest of my life. The sad thing was; I had no idea. Would I want to train Fire types? To be brave and resilient? Or, would I choose the calm Water types? The outrageous and lively Electric types, perhaps? There were so many choices, and right now, I was just clueless.

"Nate, honey?"

The voice of my mother echoed in my ears, and I sighed heavily. My birthday was usually such a happy occasion. My whole family celebrated together with presents and cake. Every other birthday had always been amazing, but not this one. There was too much pressure that my mind couldn't seem to cope with.

"Yeah?" I answered tiredly, looking into her kind hazel eyes, and her sweet motherly smile.

"You still haven't opened your present!" She was right. It was sitting on the table in front of me, a beautiful blue box with a delicate white ribbon sealing the top. My half-brother, Touya was sitting right beside me, his sienna eyes edging me on to open it. With another sigh, I started to untie the ribbon, and wondered what the big deal was.

As I took the lid off the box, my face was smothered by thick brown fur, which made me unbalanced on the chair. I heard Touya laugh, probably because I almost fell on the floor, and who doesn't laugh at that? Without taking another second to think I grabbed the bundle of brown fur and pulled it from my face, taking this time to look at just what it was that '_attacked'_ me.

"You…bought me an Eevee?" I muttered, surprised that they had gone to so much trouble. Eevee's were hard to find in Unova, and were only found in a certain area of Castelia City. I was very lucky. I also noticed that this Eevee was female, another rarity.

"Don't thank me, thank your resilient brother. He was convinced that you would love to own an Eevee, considering they are so rare." My mother piped up, smiling happily. I admired the cute bundle of fluff, watching as she cooed happily in my arms. I turned to my side, looking at Touya. With a smile, I acknowledged him.

"Thanks bro."

"You're welcome. Now you'll be one step ahead of everyone when you choose what specialism you want to join. Whatever Eevee evolves into will be a great starting point."

Touya was right as usual. He had chosen to join the Psychic division two years ago, and his starter Pokemon had been a Munna. The stories that he shared around the dinner table about his time away from home wasn't that pleasing to the ears, but it was what needed to be done. We didn't have a choice.

"Oh, and now it's time for the cake!" Mom chirped happily, before rushing into the kitchen. I rolled my eyes, smiling slightly. At every birthday without fail, I would have a cake, with all the candles. I thought the whole 'make a wish' thing was a bit childish now, but just to make her happy I continued to do it, hoping that one day my wish would come true.

"It's chocolate cake, your favourite." Touya added in, outstretching his hand to scratch Eevee behind her ears. She purred in delight, nuzzling her head closer to his hand.

"You guys really shouldn't go to this much trouble…"

"Don't be ridiculous! I only have one little brother to spoil, so I am damn well going to do that!" We smiled at each other for a while, before Eevee started pining because she wasn't getting enough attention anymore. She rolled onto her back, paws in the air as I scratched her tummy.

"Oh yeah…I know that today is a big day for you, but as long as you follow your heart you'll be fine." I sighed heavily, desperately wanting to do just that, but my own heart had no idea what I wanted.

"Did you know what you wanted to specialise in?" Touya looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Not until I was standing outside the doors to the different types. I had been thinking about it a lot, and I just went with my gut instinct." As I looked down at Eevee I noticed her large brown eyes were closed in joy as my fingers continued to claw at her fur.

_Would I feel the same? Would it literally be when I was stood outside the doors before I could choose?_

"What about the exams? Didn't they tell you what type you would be more suited for?" I asked, deciding it was better to ask all these probing questions whilst my mother was absent.

"The exams aren't factual, they are just guidelines. It's up to you really, and how determined you are to train a certain type. My exams came back that I should train Fire types, but I chose Psychic instead." Hearing Touya speak of his experiences helped calm my nerves. Within the hour, Professor Juniper would be knocking on my door, ready to take me to my exams. I just watched Eevee, feeling a lump congeal in my throat.

_What if I failed?_

"Happy Birthday to you~" My mom sang happily from the doorway, and the conversation ceased immediately. I could ask more questions later. She walked into the room, holding a beautifully decorated chocolate cake, with exactly sixteen candles burning brightly. I smiled, feeling Eevee shift into a sitting position.

_Perhaps she liked chocolate cake just as much as I did?_

"Happy Birthday to Nate, happy Birthday to you~!" As she set the cake down on the table, and Touya started clapping in celebration I knew that it was time for me to make a wish. This time, I wouldn't just wish for myself, but for everyone. It would be a wish that would change the world. Closing my eyes tightly I wished as hard as I could before blowing out all the candles.

**XXX**

"What if I fail?" I mumbled apathetically to my ever-reliable half sibling, who watched as I started to pack some vital objects for the exams. Pens, pencils, rulers, a pad of paper, a calculator, and an eraser. All packed neatly into an old pencil case Touya had bought me for my tenth birthday many years ago.

"You can't fail, Nate. The exam doesn't work like that. Just look at it like a series of questions to determine how skilled you would be training a certain type. That's all." Once I shoved my pencil case into my rucksack, and zipped it up, I sighed heavily.

"What if it turns out I'm qualified to train a number of different types?"

"Then, you must choose which one out of them you prefer." My eyes flickered to Eevee, who was playing on my bed with one of my plush dolls. She seemed so happy and content right now.

"Touya…what if I make the wrong choice?" Our eyes met for a moment, before I was forced to look away. My heart felt so heavy right now, as if it were made of lead. This wasn't a simple decision, it would change the rest of my life. Once the choice was made, I couldn't go back. I had to stick with it.

"Nate, remember what I told you. Go with your heart. Your heart never lies."

Right now, my heart had no idea what type to specialise in, but maybe I would follow my brother's example? Maybe I wouldn't be one hundred percent sure, until I was stood outside the doors?

"Please try not to stress out too much. The answer will come to you, just give it time." I smiled at him and moved to sit beside him, pulling my rucksack into my lap.

"You know, I'm glad I have you here. Knowing that you have already been through this, and survived the six week training scheme makes me feel like I can do it too."

"Of course you can, silly! Just think of it like this, once the six weeks are over, you can come back home, and start a journey of your own. However you like, wherever you want to travel. It's something to look forward to."

Touya was right. I would only have to endure being away from my family for six weeks, and then I could come home and everything would be normal again.

I knew that my Mom would be worried over me, because I was her only child and it was the most natural thing to do, but at least in the back of her mind, she would know I was safe. The boarding schools all across the region were very safe places, so she had no need to endure sleepless nights.

Touya ruffled my hair playfully, and a small smile spread across my lips. If he could do it, then so could I. We had the same blood after all. I just had to be brave, and believe in myself. Eevee was part of my team now, I wasn't alone anymore and we had to make it work.

"Nate honey?" My mother's voice called from the bottom of the stairs, and mentally I cringed. It wasn't that time already, was it? I wasn't ready for the exam yet! I needed more time!

Touya noticed my change in demeanour straight away, and placed a supportive hand on my shoulder. He flashed a gentle smile, attempting to make me feel even marginally better.

"Remember what I said, Nate. Go with your heart." I nodded, and reached out to scoop Eevee up in my arms. She wriggled slightly before settling down once again.

_This was really happening, and no matter how many times I pinched myself to prove this was real, in my own mind…it wasn't._

As I pulled my rucksack onto my back, and secured it in place, my mind whirled with so many thoughts. Eevee was a normal type Pokemon, did that mean my choice was already set in stone? Was I destined to train normal types? The brown fox type creature nuzzled her head affectionately against my face, gently crooning to make me feel even marginally better.

"Ah, there you are," my mother said quietly, before smiling brightly. "Your friend, Rosa, called for you. She's waiting in the living room."

Rosa was here? We had been friends since we were very small, and our mother's got along tremendously.

Rosa was a very pretty girl, with a heart of gold. She had been my rock throughout my childhood, and I was forever grateful. We always used to talk about the day we would receive our starter Pokemon and go on our own adventure into the big wide world. How it would be me and her, against the world.

_Things were never going to be that simple..._

When we were ten they changed the laws of obtaining a Trainer's License till the age of sixteen. They also decided against Trainer's having a diverse team of Pokemon, and made it so you could only choose one type to specialise in.

That was when we knew.

We knew when that day came and we had to choose...our lives would shatter apart.

I wandered into the living room, Eevee now comfortably perched atop my shoulder, playing with a strand of my messy hair. Not that I minded. It was amazing how comfortable she felt around me after being with me for only hours. It was like I had been with her for years.

"Nate!" Rosa's high pitched squeal entered my ears, before I was greeted with an unearthly hug, that squeezed the life out of me.

"Hey," I smiled weakly, hating that fact that today had come around so fast. The day we make our choice.

"Have you decided what you want to specialise in yet? I want to train Grass types!"

"Really?" She nodded, moving away a little so she could look into my eyes and smile.

"Yeah! I just think they are amazing! They have so many good qualities, like they have the power to heal things, and then drain life using poison. It's so cool!" It was great that Rosa was so determined and focused with her choices. I was a mess. I had no idea what to choose, or what the right choice would be.

"I'm pleased for you." I muttered, genuinely happy for the brunette. Then, her brow crinkled into a frown.

"Right, come on. Tell me what's up. I can tell by your face." A small sigh escaped my lips.

"I just...don't know what to choose..."

"That's okay. It's a big decision Nate, no-one expects you to know straight away." So, why did I feel like the odd one out? Rosa knew exactly what she wanted from life, and I had no doubts she would achieve that. I wasn't like her.

"Yet, you know...you have already decided what you want to specialise in..." She shook her head, before flashing a pained smile.

"Nate...don't put so much pressure on yourself! The answer will come to you. You just have to be patient, that's all." Eevee mewled in agreement, before a small laugh erupted from my throat. My fingers ruffled her soft brown fur, and she purred in contentment.

Maybe they were all right. Maybe I just had to relax, and take a step back. It would come to me. I just had to wait.

"Your Eevee is adorable!" Rosa commented, grinning at the hyperactive bundle of fluff.

"Thanks. I need to give her a name..." As I gazed into Eevee's eyes I wondered what name would be appropriate for her. Something cute maybe? Or maybe something significant, and powerful?

"How about Sienna?" Rosa mused, looking thoughtful. It was a nice name, and considering Eevee had brown fur it did fit the bill, but...I wanted something special for her. Something that meant a lot to me.

"Hmmm...maybe..."

"Or...name her after your Mom!" My mother's name was Lily, and I always loved the name. Eevee seemed to like it too and purred enthusiastically. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea after all.

"Yeah! Great idea! I'll call her Lily."

"What's this I hear?" My mother's voice entered the fray, her head sneakily peeking from behind the door. She was smiling, so I assumed she overheard our conversation.

"Nate is going to call the Eevee, Lily!" Rosa beamed happily.

"Well, that is very sweet of you."

It was a great idea. At least when I was away from home I would have a little piece of my Mom always with me, no matter what. Rosa flashed me a small smile, and this time I returned it. For now we would take this journey together. I wouldn't be alone.

"Anyway...we should get going. Professor Juniper is waiting for us at the Pokemon Trainer's School." It was time for our dreaded exams, which would give me an insight into what type I was more suited for. Even though Rosa had already decided, she was still encouraged to take the exam just to keep her options open, and mainly to support me.

"Yeah. Mom could you look after Lily for me until I get back home?" Gently I scooped up the bundle of fluff, who seemed only too happy to leap into my mother's arms, and snuggle against her chest.

"Of course, honey. Touya and I will look after her." I nodded, grateful that she was in capable hands, while I sealed my fate back at the Pokemon Trainer's School. Rosa linked her arm with mine, smiling happily.

"Oh stop worrying, Nate! You'll be fine!"

"You know I suck at exams..."

"It's hardly an exam...it's more like a variety of questions with multiple choice answers." I frowned, still feeling nervous about it. Regardless of what it entailed it was still an exam at the end of the day, and would show just how capable I really was.

Touya told me when he took the exam he was supposed to train Fire types, but he chose differently. His heart went with the Psychic division, and that's how he made friends with Munna. It changed his life, but in a positive way. I just had to do what he did; go with my heart and make the decision that feels right for me.

"Now come on! We're gonna be late!" It didn't have much choice in the matter, not when your hyperactive best friend is literally dragging you towards the front door. Either way I was grateful. Her boisterous personality helped me in times like these. I just hoped I wasn't being too much of a burden.

"Take care honey, you'll smash it!" My mother encouraged, whilst Eevee purred happily. I nodded, hoping to Arceus that she was right, that I would be fine and wouldn't fail.

_If I failed a test that was apparently 'unfailable' Rosa would never let me live it down..._

**XXX**

The weather was bright and sunny when we walked outside, which was great news for me. I adored hot weather, and so did my skin. Thankfully both my brother and me never burnt in the sun and we always tanned like a dream. Rosa however was the complete opposite.

_Her complexion was usually given the name of 'English Rose', which also meant her skin was incapable of tanning. Burning? Oh yeah, that was easy as pie. She hated it. _

She kept her arm linked with mine as we walked through the village, towards the Pokemon Trainer's School. There would be lots of people the same as age as us taking the exam too, and they would be feeling just as nervous. I just needed to take a deep breath and relax.

"Nate, if you keep worrying yourself like this you'll make yourself sick!" Rosa cursed, rolling her eyes.

"It's alright for you, missus! You have neverending levels of confidence and optimism. I don't."

"I just think rationally...I mean, what is the point in worrying over something that is so insignificant? It's not going to change your life, that's up to you. It's just a basic guideline, so stop fretting!" I swear, sometimes she acted more like a big sister than a best friend, not that I minded, I just didn't partcularly enjoy my ears being chewed off.

"Alright, alright. I'll try. Happy now?" She smiled brightly, pleased with the fact that her incessant whining might actually be helping the situation a little. It was a good job I listened to her sometimes, otherwise I'd never get any peace.

As we walked closer to the school I noticed that there was a line of people waiting outside the doors, obviously taking the same exam. They probably felt exactly how I did right now, and that thought alone calmed me somewhat.

"Hey, Hugh's over there!" Rosa yelled, waving her hand in the air to get attention. Hugh was another one of my neighbour's, who I hadn't known as long as Rosa, but the three of us had all become close friends. He was the most hot-headed person I had ever met, and used to get wound up over the smallest things, but he was still our friend.

The blue haired male noticed our position and lazily trundled over to us, hands in his baggy pockets. His face expressed anxiety, more prominent than my own worries. He didn't seem the type to get worried over things like this. Either way I flashed a small smile at him, as Rosa literally hugged my arm.

"Are you nervous too?" She asked the taller male, who shrugged in response.

"Whatever happens, happens. We can only do our best."

What if our best wasn't good enough? It was bad enough that after the exams were over we would take the boat to Castelia City to make our choices that would change our lives. We would be split apart, and probably wouldn't see each other again, unless we all chose the same type. Rosa wanted to train Grass types, and her heart was set in stone. It was unlikely she would change her mind.

"I never realised how many people would be here." She mused quietly, taking in the sight of the queue.

"They have been waiting awhile. I overheard some guys saying that they were so nervous they were up all night being sick." I shivered at the thought. Up all night being sick? It seemed some people were finding it worse than I was.

"Oh my...but still, it's just an exam. Why get so nervous about it? They should keep their nerves for when we choose our specialism...then its natural to be nervous." Rosa added in.

I got nervous over anything, it was too easy for me. Touya and I were always poles apart in our personas. He was strong and determined, I don't recall a time he ever got nervous. I was the opposite. I was weak, scared of the future, and nervous about my choices.

"Hugh...what are you going to choose?" I muttered, trying to disperse the negativity within me. His crimson eyes burned into mine for a moment, before he looked thoughtful.

"Not sure. My sister keeps banging on about wanting a Purrloin for Christmas, and to do that I'll have to join the Dark division."

"Is it...what you want to do?" Hugh sighed, obviously just as unsure about his decision. He needed to do it for himself, not for other people.

"I don't know yet. I guess the test will help me figure it out." So both myself and Hugh didn't know what we wanted. We just had to go with our hearts, just like Touya said. Our hearts wouldn't lie, and would give us the right answer.

"It looks like they are going into the building." Rosa piped up, pulling my arm so we ended up walking towards the fastly diminishing crowd. A lump congealed in my throat. It was happening already? I wasn't ready yet!

"It's now or never..." Hugh groaned tiredly, walking at our side. I tried to keep my nerves at a reasonable level, and not get too wound up about it, but the closer we got to the end of the queue the more my heart hurt. I needed Touya here...he would know what to do. He always knew how to make me feel better...I felt lost without him.

"Come on Nate! Turn that frown upside down! You'll be fine!" Rosa beamed, smiling happily. I wanted to believe her...I really did.

"I hope so..."

"Rosa's right, it will be over soon. Let's just grin and bear it for now." Hugh added in. We swiftly joined the end of queue, and I took a deep breath as we got closer to the large ominious doors.

The test would take a few hours and consisted of two stages from what Touya had told me in the past. The first part was a set of multiple choice questions, to find out how you could handle certain situations, for example; a wild Pokemon horde attack, or if you found an injured Pokemon in the woods. Your answers would determine the type of person you were. Next up would be the aura test, finding out what type of Pokemon you were more like in personality. Both results combined usually gave out the final result, and that would be the best option for you to train.

Still, you had to be one hundred percent honest in these tests to get the correct marks, otherwise it would become inconclusive, or otherwise nulled. I didn't want to get that result...I didn't want to be a failure. How could I tell anyone if that was what happened? For now I just had to stay calm and take it in my stride.

It was an exam, like Rosa said, how hard could it be?

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**Author's Note: Chapter one completed...sorry if it sucks . review and let me know what you think so far. Next chapter will be up soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: What is this? A quick update?! Never! Well, don't expect them all the time xD right now I'm bursting with ideas and just had to get this chapter done! I hope you all enjoy it and please read and review! Makes a girl very happy face!**

**Chapter Two**

Don't you just hate it when your leg won't stop bouncing up and down because you're that freaking nervous? Yeah..._that! _ I swear I must have chewed my pencil to ribbons by now, and my eyes kept glancing at the large clock that hung lazily on the wall.

_Two hours...two hours and this would all be over with._

I stole a glance at Rosa, who had taken to a desk two rows ahead of me. I could see her head bowed, as she scribbled furiously on her paper, determined as ever to follow her dreams. Hugh sat to her right, his mass of dark navy hair easily recognisable. He too was busy writing down on the paper, oblivious to everything.

Most of the other students copied their actions, not even daring to look up to break their concentration. So why the hell was I just sat here, staring at the paper like I was signing my life away?

All the different questions were multiple choice, just like I had been told, but the first one was just plain ridiculous. **'**_**Question one: If you were faced with the choice of jumping into a river to save your Pokemon, or your best friend, what would you choose?'** _I mean how could they justify this? Both were EQUALLY as important! I frowned at the question, noticing that their wasn't an option to save both of them.

My options were to save my Pokemon, and let my friend die. Save my friend and let my Pokemon die. Do neither and call for help. Or find a way of blocking the flow of water so getting to them would be easier. None of these applied to me. If I was in this situation I'd probably either cry, or get help.

I sighed heavily, taking this time to wonder about my friends. I wondered what Hugh wrote for this question. If he had to choose between his sister and his Pokemon I doubt it would be the easiest choice in the world, but he would save his sister everytime.

_Did that make him a bad person for not saving his Pokemon? Fuck...this was ridiculous._

In the end I chose the get help option and swiftly moved onto the second question. It consisted of; _**'If you were being attacked by a ravenous Houndoom in the middle of a forest, what would you do?'** _Once again I chewed on the end of my pencil, feeling my heart speed up in my chest. One of the options was to kill the Pokemon, which was wrong on so many levels. Others included using food to lure him away, crouch down into a submissive position, create a diversion or shout for help.

I stared at the option for crouching down into a submissive position, knowing that was probably what I would do in that situation. How could I hurt a Pokemon, even if they wanted to hurt me? I wasn't that cold hearted, or malicious.

With a soft sigh I chose the submissive position and moved onto the next question, which was different from the others I encountered. It wasn't a situation question, more of an emotional one. _**'How would you react if you found out your Pokemon was pregnant?'** _

I didn't see the point to this question personally...I mean who didn't like baby Pokemon? They were adorable as hell! Obviously I chose the happy option, because it would be amazing to find something out like that! A new life to fuss over and treat like a baby, it would be great!

Next question. **_'Your rival whips out his new Pokemon and challenges you to a battle, where your Pokemon is at a disadvantage. What do you do?'_ **I didn't have a rival so this question completely went over my head. Even so, the idea of fighting anyone spooked me a little because everything was so new right now. I had never battled before, and had no idea what to do. My options were; to battle, to turn him down because you're at a disadvantage, or battle because you'd win regardless of types.

So...not much choice then. Battle, or not to battle. In the end I chose to battle, just so I didn't seem like that much of a sissy compared to the rest of the candidates. The last thing I wanted was people laughing at my choices.

Taking a deep breath I moved onto the next question, which was just as ridiculous as the rest. _**'You are caught in the middle of a territorial battle between Beedrill and Ursaring. What do you do?'** _I'm sorry but, there in no way in hell I would be caught up in this, and if I was I'd run for the hills. There was an option of backing away slowly, but not running like my life depended on it.

I frowned reading the rest of my choices. These were beyond stupid. Attempt negotations...? Hell no! Join a side? Not really my style if I'm being honest, or catch them all? My only option here that was anywhere near normal was the backing away slowly one.

_God...if the examiner looked back at these answers I swear I would probably be unfit to train any type._

This whole exam was starting to make me feel depressed about how I was as a person. All these brave and herioc answers just were not me, and I felt like a failure already. Most of the answers were the running away or cowardly options...did that mean I was weak?

Once again I glanced at Rosa, seeing just how determined she was. I bet she wouldn't even dream of picking the easy way out. She would battle till the end, because she was brave and resilient.

_Why couldn't I be like her?_

The next questions on the test were those to determine which Pokemon type your personality best fitted, to determine what type you would be better suited for. There were many different things I had to answer with a simple yes, or a no. Taking a deep breath I decided to give it a go. It couldn't be worse than the last questions.

The first question asked; _**'Would you rather be evil?'** _ Naturally I chose no, because evilness didnt even register in my mind. **_'You are into mythological creatures'_** This question I was unsure of, mainly because I hadn't really thought about it. In the end I circled no and moved onto the next one. **_'You like to sneak up on your enemies using covert techniques'_**

Sneaky was far from my personality. If I tried to sneak downstairs to steal food from the fridge my Mom always knew, mainly because I had a habit of bumping into things, or breaking stuff. Naturally, I chose no for that question. The next one read; _**'Defence prevails over anything'** _I looked at the question for a while, thinking it through. They always said defence was the best offense, so I chose yes for that one.

_**'You'd say you have a dark side'** _Yeah right, I was probably opposite to that in every way known to man. Easy choice. _**'You work well under pressure'** _Considering I managed to wind myself this much over an exam, that was highy unlikely so I chose the no option. Once again another question that read; **_'You are a mysterious and dark person'_** _Why couldn't they have questions about good things? Why was it all related to dark and mysterious things? _Frowning I circled no once again, realising I only answered yes for one right now.

_**'You love to see your opponents suffer'** Oh man...I wasn't that horrible!_ I didn't like to see anyone suffer, even if they hated my guts. Touya always said I was too soft and too forgiving, but that was just who I was. I chose the no option once again.

The next question was quite nice, completely different to the others I had seen so far. _**'You like the smell of the ocean'** _Well, I guess I did. I always loved the sea and the beach, so that was a yes from me. _**'You try and predict your opponents actions'** _I frowned. Yeah right...if I even tried to I would probably be wrong. I remembered when I tried to predict Rosa's next move when we played chess once, and got it completely wrong, and she ended up checkmating me. So, I circled no.

_**'You love to lay in the grass'** _It was nice to do that on a hot day and just stare at the clouds, so I decided to pick yes for that one, hoping there were more nice questions to come, and no more horrible choices. The next question read; _'**You are different and unique'** _ I guess I could be called that at times, Rosa had said I was one of a kind many times, so that was the same as being unique. I decided to circle yes anyway.

There were only two questions left which were; **_'You love ice cream' _**and _**'You are impatient'** _Both of those were true. I had a thing for chocolate ice cream ever since I was a kid, and everyone has said at one point or another that I'm impatient about things, so I decided on yes for both of them.

Once I scanned through the paper to make sure I hadn't missed out any of the questions, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. Finally, it was done and dusted and once the bell rang to signify the end of the exam I could forget about this whole ordeal for a week. They said we would receive our results at the end of the week, and then we would take the boat to Castelia City for the choosing ceremony.

_Six weeks away from home...away from Mom...away from Touya._

All because we had to train intensively and learn everything there was to learn about our chosen speciality. I just didn't want to be alone when I chose. If I knew no-one in my group it would make things so much harder to deal with. At least if Rosa or Hugh were with me I had someone to talk to and hang around with.

I looked at the clock, not quite believing that so much time had passed. It didn't seem like I spent so long answering the questions, and now there was only twenty minutes remaining. Absent-mindedly I tapped my foot against the leg of the table. Professor Juniper was stood at the front of the hall, idly watching all the students, making sure no-one cheated, or stepped out of line.

Glancing over the array of students I noticed that some, just like me had placed their pens and pencils down, and were now re-reading their answers. Deep within I wondered what they had chosen.

_Did anyone choose to kill the rabid Houndoom? Was anyone in this room that evil? Did Hugh or Rosa choose that option, or did they pick the same as I did?_

Resting my head on my hand I looked out of the window, wondering how Lily was coping at home without me. She was probably being spoilt rotten by Touya and Mom, but I missed having her with me. Her energetic vibe is what I needed right now, and we were a team. Together we would venture into this cruel, unforgiving world, attempting to put right everything that was done wrong.

_If we could..._

**XXX**

I didn't realise that twenty minutes had passed so soon until the class bell resounded in my ears, and everyone put their pens and pencils down on their desks, all their attention consumed by the foreboding figure of the Professor. I watched as she walked down the aisles, collecting the papers as she went.

"Your results should be confirmed by the end of the week, but you shall all receive a phone call when they are here, and ready for collection." She announced, wondering past Rosa's desk, and picking up her exam paper. She turned in her seat, and smiled supportively. I bet she was worried over me the entire time because of how het up I became earlier. Now it was over, I was fine.

It was as if a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders, but now I had to wait until the end of the week. I hoped the examiner didn't laugh at my choices, or make judgements about me. I know I wasn't the bravest student in the world, but they said we had to be honest, so I did exactly that.

Professor Juniper walked up to my desk and picked up my exam paper, before flashing a kind smile my way. I returned it, grateful that now I could relax for a while, and forget about the agonising decision that was yet to come.

_My specialism...joy._

As I packed my things away into my pencil case, I noticed that the Professor had collected everyone's papers and now was walking back down the aisle to the front of the hall.

"Okay then. Well done to all of you! You should all be extremely proud of yourselves, and I shall see you in a weeks time. You are dismissed."

Just like that hordes of students practically leapt up from their seats, all too eager to leave and go back home. I stayed in my seat, waiting for the majority of people to leave. I wasn't overly keen on overcrowded places.

Rosa and Hugh got up from their seats and approached me, as I placed my pencil case back in my rucksack, zipping it up. Rosa smiled at me as she walked up to my desk, Hugh tagging along at her side.

"So...how did it go?" She asked, as I stood up, pulling my rucksack on my back. I shrugged a little.

"It went okay I guess..."

"Don't you think some of those questions were uncalled for? I mean...killing a Pokemon? What the actual fuck?!" Hugh cursed and I glared at him to be quiet. The Professor was still in the room, and would probably tell him off for using bad language.

"If anyone chose that option they should be banned from working with Pokemon full stop! It's just heartless!" Rosa noted, her face looking pained. I nodded, eternally grateful I chose the submissive option.

"Did you read the one about the Ursaring and Beedrill fight? Whoever thought up these questions needs to reconsider their choices in life."

"Hugh, they weren't THAT bad! They were just...different." I sighed softly as they conversed about the exam, making sure I told absolutely no-one what I chose. I didn't want people thinking I was some weak pathetic coward, unable to defend myself.

Soon enough the three of us were being ushered out of the room, and outside. Once we got outside into the fresh air I noticed that the majority of the students had already gone home by now, not wanting to stick around a minute longer.

"I really hope my results come back as Grass." Rosa mused, linking her arm with mine, then doing the same with Hugh so she was in the middle.

"I have no idea what mine will be. Some of those questions were laughable and completely unrealistic." Hugh was right, and I was glad it wasn't just me who spent the majority of the time frowning at the questions.

"Did you read the one about saving your best friend or Pokemon?" I added in finally, deciding to engage in the conversation a little. Hugh snorted at my words; looking displeased.

"I swear...Team Plasma must make up these abysmal questions, because sane people wouldn't even dream of choosing a side."

"What did you choose?" Rosa asked, her large azure eyes looking up at the taller male.

"I chose to stop the water, because then it might be possible to save both of them."

"Awww damn! I chose to get help!" Rosa squealed, pouting a little. She had no idea we chose the same thing, so we were more alike than I first realised.

"What about you Nate?" Hugh asked me, and suddenly both of them stared at me. Feeling a little nervous I decided that it wouldn't be so bad telling them what I chose. They wouldn't judge me...considering Rosa picked the same option.

"I um...chose to get help too."

"Man...they are gonna think I want to be some sort of Pokemon superhero with what I chose." Hugh groaned, and Rosa laughed at his words.

"I can totally picture you in a superhero outfit, with your underpants on the outside~" She teased, making the blue haired male blush furiously. I chuckled at the thought, finding the image very amusing. Hugh's hot headed personality wasn't really cut out for fighting crime, but it was still a hilarious idea.

"Oh hell no! I haven't got the face for that. If anything Nate would be better suited." Hugh stated, and it caught me off guard.

_Me...a superhero? No way. I was a coward!_

Only of course they didn't know that...only me and the examiner would know.

"N-no way..." I stammered, hating the attention. Rosa clicked her tongue and hit Hugh's arm playfully.

"Oh stop it, you big meanie. You're the one who chose to save everyone in your answers. Nate and I chose the SENSIBLE option!"

"Of course going to get help is sensible, I mean what if they both died while you were away? Wow, what a great choice that turned out to be."

"Do you always have to see the bad side to everything?" Rosa groaned, hugging my arm. I smiled, watching the both of them banter together. I never usually got involved with disputes or arguments, even if they were of the playful kind.

"Hugh has to be the voice of reason," I added in, feeling so much better now all the stress was gone. "Otherwise we would both get carried away."

"Thank you!" The taller male cried, his crimson eyes flaring. "At least someone around here speaks sense."

"Oh hush you, I am the only girl here, therefore I am always right~"

"...you think you're always right..." Hugh mumbled as we walked, causing Rosa to puff her cheeks out angrily, like a pissed off Jigglypuff.

"I dare you to say that again!" I laughed, when Hugh's face literally went pale right in front of my eyes. It was so great to have two great friends like these two. It made life so much more easier to bear, and get through. I'd be totally lost without them.

**XXX**

After a while of aimless chitchat and banter we all decided that it was getting late and should all head on home. Rosa wanted us to meet up and do something before we got our exam results, and that seemed like a great idea. We had no plans as of yet, but she said she would call us once she had figured something out.

My house was the first one we approached, and both Hugh and Rosa walked with me down my garden path and to my front door. It had been nice just chatting with them about the exam, and laughing it off. Rosa and Hugh spent the majority of the time bickering like an old married couple but, it made me laugh, and that was what I needed.

"Here's my stop." I announced, turning to smile at them.

"It sure is. We are definitely meeting up before results day. All of us." Rosa finalised, smiling warmly.

"I'd like that."

"Knowing Rosa we'll end up going for a coffee and a croissant at some fancy cafe somewhere, where people speak with terrible accents." Hugh whined, before receiving a jab in the ribs by Rosa's elbow.

"If you want to survive the rest of the day I recommend you keep your trap shut. Clear?" I smiled and shook my head, watching as Hugh nursed his rib from Rosa's attack. She always did have rather sharp elbows...

"Just call me and let me know." I muttered, perfectly okay with anything she chose. Rosa always did pick nice places to go, or great things to do. I noticed that Hugh had stayed silent since his recent injury, probably for the best.

"Okay then! I shall see you soon!" Her arms hugged me tightly as she pressed a soft kiss on my cheek and bidded me a farewell.

"Yeah, take care."

Her azure eyes rolled in amusement, as she and Hugh walked back down my garden path. Smiling to myself I opened my front door, thankful that my Mom had left it open for me. Before I even got properly into my house Lily had bounded over to me, and leapt into my arms, wagging her tail.

"Hey there, did you miss me?" She started licking my face, and I laughed at the tingling feeling. How could she love me so much after only being here with me for a few hours? It was like I had been with her for years.

"How did it go?"

The voice of my half-brother entered my ears, and as I looked towards the stairs I saw his tall figure walk down towards me. I shrugged a little, trying not to feel negative about what I had chosen. Touya had told me to go with my heart, and I did.

"It was okay...some of the questions were a bit stupid though."

"I had that when I took the exam. If I remember correctly one was something like; if your Pokemon and your friends were trapped in a burning building what would you do? They didn't give sensible choices and made you choose to save either your Pokemon or your friends. Absolute bullshit." I nodded weakly, thankful that Touya felt the exact same way about the questions that I did.

"Vui~!" Lily purred happily into my ear, once she finally calmed down. At least she had stopped frantically licking my face.

"Yeah...it kinda puts you in a difficult position." Touya had now reached the bottom of the stairs and smiled supportively.

"I don't think anyone knows what to do in those situations, so don't feel too bad about it." I nodded weakly. Why did I still feel like a coward? I was probably the only student in the hall who consistently chose the easy options, not even daring to pick a brave choice.

"Your test came back as Fire...right?" He nodded, as his fingers started scratching through Lily's fur, and she purred in delight.

"It did...but Fire just didn't suit me. I'm not hot headed or quick to temper. I thought that Psychic would be more useful and interesting, so I chose that. I'm glad I did, because I made some really good friends. I'd be lost without Musha." He was referring to his Munna, who had helped him a lot through the years. I wondered if Lily and I would have the same connection some day. Right now she seemed so content, cuddling up in my arms.

"I see...so...even if my test results come back as something...I don't have to choose it?"

"Not if you don't want to. Like I said, it's just a basic guideline, that's all," My brother smiled at me, placing his hand on my shoulder. "Anyway, enough about exams, I'm taking you out."

"Huh?"

"Hello? Did you forget today is still your birthday? I'm taking you out for a meal, my treat."

I couldn't help but smile in joy. I guess I had forgotten that it was my birthday, after all the stress of exams and being a failure. It would be nice to have some down time to relax and forget about everything for now. After all, its not everyday you turn sixteen.

"Veeee~!" Lily cooed enthusiastically, liking the idea of food also, which made me smile.

"Is Mom gonna be there?" Touya shook his head lightly, whilst grabbing his signature blue jacket from the coat rack.

"She had to go into work. Apparently there was some emergency with a sick Pokemon, but she told us to go without her."

I wished that she could have joined us, it felt weird celebrating without her. Either way, if food was on Touya there was no way I was missing out. I had to make the most of these times together, because soon enough I would be whisked away for six weeks, and that thought petrified me.

**XXX**

Touya had chosen a new restaurant that had opened in the village, which I had been going on about trying for the past few months, but never had the money to do so. They served food from all over the world; Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh. Foods that I'd never get to try unless they were imported.

Lily sat on my shoulder, large innocent brown eyes gazing at the tastefully decorated building. It was perfect in everyway, and it was so nice that Touya had thought of this for my birthday. He really did spoil me.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Lets go inside." He noted, walking towards the large stained glass doors. I followed, feeling a little nervous. It wasn't everyday I got to eat in nice restaurants and not have to pay anything at all. This was alien to me, but I reckoned soon enough the nerves would settle down.

As we walked inside, soft ambient music could vaguely be heard, and various waitresses, dressed in black and white flitted about the tables. There were large rotating fans on the ceilings, with sepia paintings on the walls for added décor. It really was beautiful. Lily stayed on my shoulder as we walked up to the front desk, and waited for someone to show us to a table.

The nerves increased as I continued to look around the place, seeing that it was mainly couples who were dining, not two half-brothers for a birthday celebration. I felt out of place, but did my utmost not to show it. Touya had gone to a lot of effort and I didn't want to ruin anything.

A blonde haired girl showed us to our table after a few minutes, and took our orders for drinks. Obviously I was too young to drink alcohol so Touya ordered a Coke for me, and a fizzy water for him. Not that I minded. None of our family indulged in alcohol.

"This is nice~" He commented, taking his jacket off and placing it at his side. We sat opposite each other so we had more room around the table, and so Lily could snuggle in the corner if she became tired.

"I wasn't expecting this..." I murmured weakly.

"Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?" Smiling to myself I took my rucksack and my jacket off, to try and settle my nerves. Lily jumped off my shoulder and went to snuggle in my jacket for warmth.

"It's not bad...I'm just not used to this."

"Well, get used to it. From now on until you leave to go to Castelia, we are having special brotherly bonding time. Deal?"

It was so nice of him to want to go to this much trouble for me. Still, spending as much time with him as possible until I had to leave sounded good right now. I knew that when that day came rolling by, I'd miss my family terribly, and I had no idea how I'd cope without them.

The blonde haired waitress returned with our drinks, and smiled kindly at the both of us. I thanked her nervously as she gave us more time to order our food. We hadn't even bothered to look at the menus yet.

"I will guess what you're gonna have," Touya said aloud, furrowing his brow in thought. "...the double decker Cheeseburger!" I blinked.

_Seriously...had he been stalking me, or watching my eating habits? It was un-nerving he knew that!_

"How the hell did you know?" He smirked, before taking a sip of his water.

"Brotherly instinct, never fails~"

Yeah right, he was a total stalker. Nevertheless I smiled, because whatever the reason, he knew me so well. Not even Rosa knew me as well as he did.

"What about you? What are you eating?" I watched as he picked up the menu, and spent about five minutes staring at the different things to eat. Then, he placed the menu down and smiled.

"Same as you."

"Oh...okay then." Nervously I sipped my coke through a straw, that the waitress had strangely given to me, but not Touya. Probably because she thought I was a kid...

"So...do you feel better now the exam is over?" He asked me, seemingly interested. I shrugged weakly, unsure. Right now I did, but at the end of the week I'd be a nervous wreck once again.

"I'm just worried about my results..."

"Relax Nate, it doesn't change your life. If your not happy with the result you don't have to go with it. It's your choice." Sighing to myself I knew he was right, that I could choose anything I wanted to even if it was the complete opposite to what I was capable of.

"What would you suggest?" I asked, trying to get a second opinion. Touya looked thoughtful, tapping his chin lightly with his finger.

"Hmmm...tough choice," He mused. "However, if I were you I'd go for something out of your comfort zone."

"Like what?" Out of my comfort zone? I doubted anything would be IN my comfort zone right now...especially with how I had answered those questions. Touya shrugged a little as he sipped at his fizzy water.

"I dunno, be reckless. Go for something mysterious and dangerous, something that will teach you good life and battle skills. Ghost or Dark perhaps?" I blinked at his words. Ghost or Dark? I was the complete opposite to those types, and to be honest being in the Ghost specialism freaked me out a little.

"I don't think it's really for me..."

"Then...what about Ice? Or Fire?" I frowned as I absent-mindedly twirled my straw between my fingers.

"Maybe..."

Our conversation was thankfully cut short when the blonde haired waitress returned, asking for our orders. Touya ordered our food, because I didn't fancy talking to strangers right now. My mind was all over the place, and all I wanted to do was forget.

Once the order was written down on her tiny notepad she bowed slightly, and once again left our table. I sighed, hoping to Arceus that the conversation wouldn't pick up where it left off. It seemed Touya noticed my nervous disposition and didn't mention anything about it again, thankfully.

"Who knows, this six week break away from home might do you some good. You'll meet new people, make new friends, learn life skills, and who knows...you might even get a girlfriend~"

Immediately I felt my cheeks flush pink, and bowed my head shyly. The whole girlfriend thing wasn't something I wanted to discuss with my brother, especially because, well...I didn't know many girls. The only girl I ever got on well with was Rosa.

"I-I...um...dunno..."

"Oh come on, Nate. You're a sixteen year old boy. Now is the time to think of having a relationship of some kind, even if it's not for keeps." Truth be told, I didn't really want a relationship right now. Things were too complicated in my own head to bring someone else into it too.

"Touya...I'm happy as I am right now. I don't want a relationship..." I thought that he might have judged me, or continued to pester me about the whole issue, but he didn't. He just smiled at me.

"That's okay. I guess not everyone wants that."

"I mean...you're not with anyone either." I murmured, taking a sip through the straw. Touya never seemed interested in anyone enough to date them. He had many friends, just nothing ever materialised from that.

"True that. Lets forget I said anything then."

We both smiled at each other. It was nice that things didn't get awkward between us, no matter what the issue was. Touya knew it was something I didn't want to discuss, and he just dropped it straight away. The last thing I needed was more pressure right now. I just wanted to enjoy my final week of being footloose and fancy free, before my life would drastically change.

**XXX**

As expected the food was absolutely amazing, like nothing I had ever tasted before. It might have had something to do with the fact I didn't have to pay for anything, and you know what they say; food tastes better when its on someone else. I also figured out why they named it the 'double decker cheeseburger', because it was huge! I had never seen anything like it!

Lily had by this time woke up, and helped herself to some of my fries. Not that I minded, I needed help eating this anyway. Touya was completely unaffected, and it baffled me. How someone could eat so much, and yet still remain in great shape?

"How is it?" He asked me, as he munched on one of his fries.

"Great! Thanks Touya!" He smiled, until I saw his face frown slightly, almost as if he had just remembered something.

"Oh yeah, I know I said we wouldn't discuss about the exams, or Team Plasma today...but I remembered something," My interest piqued at his words, and I stared into his eyes, clearly seeing pain behind their stare. "On the news today they said that Team Plasma is clamping down on rebel trainers...and taking drastic action."

"Rebel trainers?" I asked, not quite sure what he meant by that. It was the first time anyone had mentioned this. Touya nodded, munching absent-mindedly.

"Trainers that refuse to be dictated to, and train whatever types they want, and train multiple types, even though it's against the law. Any trainer found with other Pokemon that isn't in their specialism... will be executed..."

"Wh-what?!" I cried out, almost choking on my drink when those words casually spilled out into the atmosphere.

"A bit drastic...but that's what they are going to implement. I fear for those trainers, you know? How can you justify ending someone's life just for training more than one type of Pokemon? It's absurd!"

Deep within I became very nervous, more nervous than ever before. There were people out there who willingly chose to disobey the rules? Still...exectution was a bit too much, but if Team Plasma wanted to make a stand against it then this was probably the best way to go.

"They're...really going to kill people?" Touya nodded, sighing softly.

"Apparently so, they wanted to make it so severe that it would scare up and coming trainers into staying within the laws, and not to even consider disobeying them. Thing is...I doubt that their plan will stop anything, in fact; it might make it worse." I frowned as I swirled my straw around my glass, watching the ice-cubes start to dissolve.

"...you mean war...right?"

Again, he nodded, and the thought terrified me. I didn't want to live in a world where war ravaged the lands, and people who I loved and cared about could die in the process. Lily noticed my change in demeanour and pined quietly, licking at my hand.

"If more and more people join the rebels it will only be a matter of time before all out war breaks out."

"I-I...don't want a war..." I murmured sadly.

"I don't think anyone wants a war, Nate; but do you want to live like this? Dictated to by power hungry no-bodies, forced to live a way of life that no-one is happy with? It will only be a matter of time. People will just snap..." I tensed and bowed my head a little.

_Was that really how people thought? Did Touya feel the same way? Would he join the rebels if it came down to it?_

"T-Touya...?" I stammered, trying to steady my nerves once more. His sienna eyes focused on me in an instant, and I knew he could tell I was scared.

"Yeah?"

"...would you join the rebels? If it ever came down to it...?"

I hoped that he said no, because then I'd have no reason to worry for his safety. There would be no cause for concern, and no chance of him being executed for going against Plasma dictatorship. However, when he was forced to look away from me I just knew. I knew that his intentions were to join the rebel forces in the end...ultimately ending in a war.

"Nate...it's been my job to protect you, ever since you were a baby. I don't want you to grow up in a twisted world like this, where you have no free will. It's not what I ever wanted for you. So, if joining the rebels helps change the world for the better then yeah...I'm on board."

I felt Lily gently pawing at my hand, her large brown eyes staring at me. She must have known I was upset, and was doing her utmost to show me she was there for me. I smiled weakly, happy for her attempt, but right now how could I be happy?

I just discovered that Team Plasma planned to execute people who went against their rule, including the rebel forces. That Touya wanted to join them if it meant changing the world for better, and still the agonising dread of my exam results hung over me like an ominous black cloud.

_Was there anyway out of this horrible twisted fabrication, known as reality?_

* * *

**Author's Note: End of chapter two! Let me know what you guys think! It makes me very happy! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: What is this? Another update? Wow! This is a short chapter, just setting the scene for the rest of the chapters to come. I want to thank all of you that bother to read this. It means alot!**

* * *

**Chapter Three**

The imperious sense of dread continued to weigh me down for the remainder of the day. I just knew that something was seriously wrong, yet I couldn't put my finger on it. My birthday had been a nice celebration, but now I was back home, and the overwhelming knowledge of my demise was drawing near, resting was the last thing I could do. My attention piqued when a news report flashed on the television screen, and I stopped walking, watching the reporter intently.

_"This is Cerise Winters reporting in Castelia City. International Police are currently on the lookout for two teenagers, who are suspected to be leading rebel forces. Reports claim they last saw the teenagers fleeing the scene of a petrol bomb attack at the Pokemon Centre in Castelia City. Descriptions show that one is male, and the other female; both around sixteen years of age," _Suddenly a firm hand gripped my shoulder, diverting my attention from the reporter.

"You shouldn't listen to all this nonsense. Most of it is scare tactics." Touya mused quietly, flashing a supportive smile. It wasn't nonsense if the Police were after these people, and if they were part of the rebel forces then things didn't look good for anyone.

_"Both were last seen around Virbank City, so for your own safety the Police have issued code amber; stay indoors, don't go outside, and if you have any information regarding the suspects please call in at your local Police Station,"_

"That's not far away…" I said aloud, watching as blurred images of the two suspects came onto the screen; one was a female with brown hair, and the other a blond haired male. Their faces weren't clear, so it made identifying them harder.

"Don't worry about it. I doubt they'd come to Aspertia for anything. Unless, they want to bomb the Pokemon Trainer's School."

This wasn't the time for jokes; especially if the media was right, and there were dangerous rebel forces lurking nearby. The last thing I wanted was to be caught up in a war between two opposing forces. With a heavy sigh, I decided against dwelling on issues that didn't concern me; after all, my main concern was getting these next few days over with.

**XXX**

Sometimes time flies by so fast, that if you blink you'll miss it; other times it drags so mere minutes feel like hours in comparison. That was what this week had been like. Three days had passed since my birthday, and it felt like three years.

I had tried to take my mind off it by keeping myself busy. I spent time with Lily, building our relationship, so when we did have to venture into the big bad world we would be ready for whatever life tossed our way. We had a great connection, and things could only get better. Just like Touya said, he hadn't left my house since my birthday, and spent the majority of his time with me. I didn't really mind the attention, because soon enough I wouldn't get to see him for six weeks.

I did my best to help my Mom around the house, doing odd jobs for her whilst she was out at work, and joining her when she cooked meals for the family. I had to keep busy until Friday, because that was when my world as I knew it would come crashing down around me.

Right now, I was taking a break, lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling with Lily snuggled on top of my stomach. She had fallen asleep, and I dared not to move. She could be very grumpy if rudely awoken. Sighing softly I thought about the next few days, about how everyone was in the same boat as I was. We would all make that agonising step together, but then forcefully torn apart, maybe to never see each other ever again. _It frightened me..._

"Nate...?"

I glanced at the door, seeing Touya poke his head from behind it. He flashed a small smile, almost as if he was apologising.

"Are you feeling okay?"

Was it that obvious that I had the weight of the world balancing on my shoulders? I nodded weakly, not really wanting to converse about it right now. I just wanted to close my eyes, and forget about reality for a while. It was something I didn't need right now.

"I'll be downstairs if you need anything, okay?"

With that said the figure of my ever-reliable half-brother disappeared from my door, and I heard his soft footsteps going down the stairs. Sighing heavily, I stared back up at the ceiling, attempting to sort out the mess that was my mind.

I hadn't forgotten what Touya had told me, that when the time came he would willingly join rebel forces, ultimately putting his life in great danger.

_How could I possibly be okay with that? I needed him in my life...and if anything happened to him...I doubt I'd be able to cope with that._

The thought of people being executed for their crimes continued to send a horrible shiver down my spine, because even though they broke the law, death was a little too much. It wasn't as if they hurt anyone, or murdered civilians, so why the death penalty? Was it because Team Plasma was losing their grip in this dictatorship?

"Veee..." Lily purred sleepily, stirring from her short nap. I just smiled at her, and watched as she stretched her limbs, and shook her fur. Her large brown eyes flickered open, and she nuzzled her face against my chest, obviously happy I was still here.

At least I wasn't alone, no matter what happened. Even if I was sent away to some boarding school for six weeks, I had Lily to keep me company, and that thought alone eased the twin demons of my mind. I combed my fingers through her fur, hearing a contented purr as she rolled onto her back so I could scratch her tummy.

Suddenly Touya came bounding back up the stairs, and into my room startling both Lily, and myself. He held the house phone out to me, obviously directing me to take it for some reason.

"It's Rosa." He told me, and with that said, I struggled into a sitting position, feeling Lily jump onto the bed beside me. I took the receiver from Touya, and held it to my ear, waiting to hear her high-pitched voice.

"Hello?"

"Nate...! How have you been? Urgh, I would've called sooner, but right now I'm having some issues with my family." Touya left my room, giving me time to talk to Rosa in private, which was nice of him. I sighed softly, deciding whether she needed to know about the rebel forces Touya told me about earlier.

"I'm alright...just a bit worried about Friday..."

"Oh yeah! Results day! I almost forgot about that..." How the hell could she forget? It was the only thing I had been thinking about these past few days. "...sorry, Mom isn't very happy with me right now." She added in, sighing.

"Why? Has something happened?"

"Not as such, she just doesn't want me to go to the choosing ceremony. She wants me to stay at home for another year, and do things at a slower pace. Apparently I'm 'rushing into things', which is ridiculous!"

I understood why her mother would be so concerned. Rosa was an only child, and the world out there was very dangerous, especially under Team Plasma's rule. Little did she know about the growing rebellion, and the threat of war about to break out. _Maybe I shouldn't mention that..._

"What did you say to her?" I asked.

"I said that I'm going to the ceremony, and she can't stop me. I'm sixteen, Nate! This is my chance to prove everybody wrong! That I can be a strong determined trainer, and not some weak little girl everyone thinks I am." Rosa was far from weak, if anything I was the weak one... I cleared my throat, deciding not to say anything about that.

"You're not weak, Rosa..."

"Awww, thank you Nate! I just wished my Mom thought the same way as you. Urgh...it's SO frustrating! I mean, Hugh doesn't get this shit off his parents! Just because I'm a girl, they think they need to wrap me up in cotton wool to protect me from everything. I hate it!"

I wished I could have been more helpful in this situation, and not just sit here idly, having no idea what to say to her. She was right, a lot of people thought that way, but that was society nowadays. If you were a guy it was easier to go travelling, than if you were a girl. People always assumed the worst.

"Well, soon enough she won't have any control over you. You'll be able to go on your own adventure."

"Damn right I will! I'll prove her wrong; I'll prove them all wrong!" She said, determinedly, and I couldn't help but smile. I wished I were as brave and strong willed as she was. There was no way Rosa would ever back down from a fight, even if it looked like she was going to lose.

"It will come round sooner than we think...after Friday our lives will start to change." I muttered, hating how it sounded aloud. Just a few more days, and the control from my life would be slipping out of my fingers.

"Oh my gosh...I know! I'm so excited! I wonder what my results are...I hope they aren't lame." _Unlike mine, you mean..._

"I'm sure you did great..." I encouraged, not wanting her to feel bad about it. We didn't need the both of us lamenting over bad test results.

"I hope so, Nate. I hope we both did great." I smiled; genuinely happy she felt the same way. If she found out that my results were bad, I knew she would be there for me in every way possible. However, the results weren't set in stone, just mere guidelines.

"Well, soon we'll find out..."

"Yeah...but until then, we are going out!" She beamed down the phone, and I blinked in response.

"Say...wha-?"

"You heard me! You, Hugh, and me are going out! Tonight! No excuses from you mister! I know what you're like~" Well, Hugh was definitely right, Rosa really did like to take charge of the situation, not giving either of us a say in the matter. Not that I minded. Getting out of the house might do me some good.

"Go where exactly?" I asked, hoping it wasn't anywhere too fancy. I always felt out of place if we ever went to those areas.

"The lookout! I thought we could have a picnic or something, you know, just to chill and have a laugh as friends." It had been so long since I had a picnic, and the idea sounded good. I wondered if Hugh would kick up a fuss as usual, claiming it was 'too girly'.

"Sounds good!"

"Okay, I'll call for you in an hour. Make sure you're ready~!" I smiled, happy that she was part of my life. I just wished that I could hold onto her for longer than a few days. It was too soon, I wasn't ready to make it on my own yet.

"Sure…no problem…"

"That's settled then! See you soon!" Just like that she hung up, always too excited to let you say goodbye. Not that it mattered. I didn't want to say goodbye, ever. Goodbye meant the end of things, and the end terrified me.

**XXX**

As expected, Rosa called precisely in an hour, just like she said. Touya offered to take care of Lily, much to her disapproval. She squirmed and whined in his arms, desperately wanting to come with me, but for now she was safer indoors. Especially if rebel forces were lurking in the shadows.

"Nate!" The brunette squealed, wrapping her arms around me. "I'm surprised! You're actually ready on time~" I rolled my eyes, as she pulled away; a mischievous smirk lighting up her features.

"Yeah, yeah, isn't it you who takes forever to get ready?"

"Oh Nate, I am offended by your sexism! Just because I am a girl it does not mean I spend over an hour in the bathroom, and then an extra forty five minutes choosing clothes to get ready!"

We both smiled at the banter, which even though right now was a normal part of life; soon it would become a rarity. Then, as I realised there wasn't an extra voice taking part in the conversation, I noticed that Hugh was not present.

"Where's Hugh?"

"Oh, he had to stay home, some _family _issues and what not. Not that it matters! More food for us~!" I never understood where her endless amounts of confidence and enthusiasm came from. No matter how grim the situation, or how bleak the future seemed; she always saw positivity to anything. It was inspiring.

"Maybe he saw the news…" I rambled, glancing away.

"The news?"

"Yeah, there have been reports of rebel forces being seen in Virbank City." Her expression altered from blissfully happy, to that of confusion; almost concern. Her brow furrowed in thought, as she glanced away momentarily.

"That's…bad…"

"Yeah, they have advised people to stay indoors." For a moment, it was as if she was contemplating something. Perhaps the news of rebel forces had affected her idea of wanting to go for a picnic up on the lookout. Then, after a few minutes, she smiled once more, as if nothing happened.

"Well, who cares about what they say? No rebel forces are going to ruin our picnic!"

With her free arm she linked it with mine, pulling me away from my front door, until we were walking down the path. It was amazing how carefree she could be about the whole scenario, even though the ominous idea that there were evil people lurking a little too close for comfort. It meant nothing to her, and a part of me wished hold me down.

The view from the lookout had always been a remarkable sight; it was only days like these; where you knew soon enough you wouldn't get the chance to see it every day, did it mean that little bit more. Rosa had bounded ahead of me, far too excited to stick to my mediocre pace of walking. B

y the time I reached the summit, she had already placed the basket down, and was now unfolding a Pokemon themed blanket. There were dozens of tiny Cherrim's dotted all over the yellow fabric, and it was large enough for the both of us to use.

"Nate!" She cried, finally noticing my arrival.

I smiled meekly, watching as she indicated with her hand for me to sit down on the blanket. This felt so strange to me. Usually Hugh was here for company; moaning about something trivial, which resulted in Rosa losing her temper, and endless bouts of laughter. Only this time, Hugh wasn't here.

"This looks great!" I added in, watching as she started to unpack the items from the picnic basket. There were so many different types of sandwiches to choose from, fondant fancies, a dozen or so bags of chips, chocolate bars and a bag of fruit to share. It seemed she went to a lot of trouble to get all of it prepared on time, but obviously dispersed the idea that Hugh would not be joining us.

"You can eat Hugh's sandwiches if you want to." Rosa piped up, grabbing paper plates from the bottom of the basket and handing one to me. I took it graciously, and wondered if I was actually capable of eating so much food. It had always been Touya who had the insatiable appetite.

"Thanks. You literally bought everything."

"Come on, Nate! A girl is always prepared!" She giggled, and sat herself down opposite me, and grabbed a plate for herself. Her nimble fingers grabbed one of the fondant fancies first, and then two cheese sandwiches. As I chose what food I wanted on my plate I realised that we had nothing to drink.

"Uh…Rosa?" She looked up at me, smiling brightly.

"Yes?"

"Did you forget to pack the drinks?" In a matter of seconds, her beaming smile changed to that of a concerned frown, as she brought her hand to her face in dismay.

"Oh I KNEW I forgot something!" She groaned, and started to rummage around in her tiny handbag for something. I just watched her anxiously, wondering what her next move was.

"Here, look after my X-transceiver for me yeah? I'm going to go to the vending machine and buy some drinks."

Just like that, the tiny device was thrust into my hand, with the utmost trust. I nodded, determined not to let her down. She stood up, brushing herself off, before glancing around for the nearest vending machine.

"I won't be too long, okay? You can start eating without me." With a smile, I watched as she happily bounded back the way we came, in the desperate search of finding a vending machine.

I sighed lightly, and cautiously placed the X-Transceiver down in front of me, on the blanket. It always felt strange when someone placed their trust in me to take care of their things, especially something so personal. I wasn't the type of guy who went snooping through people's things willingly, so the idea itself un-nerved me.

As the gentle summer breeze wafted through my hair, and the sound of Pidove's cooing in the treetops was the only noise that greeted my ears, I started to eat one of the sandwiches that Rosa had made. Even though it felt wrong to eat without her, she did state that it was okay, and my stomach seemed to think otherwise.

As I allowed my eyes to drink in the beautiful scenery, I heard a faint buzzing noise, accompanied by music. The longer I ignored it, the louder it become, and when my eyes readjusted to the direction of the noise I realised it was coming from Rosa's X-Transceiver. The screen was flashing, and it was obvious someone was calling her.

I stole a quick glance at the caller I.D, only there wasn't a name behind the number. Just a letter. The letter C. Soon enough, whoever it was realised Rosa was not going to answer, and the ringing subsided.

I subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief, not even daring to pick up the phone and answer it for her just in case it was someone important, or someone she didn't want anyone to know about. After all, I didn't know anyone with the first initial C.

Absentmindedly I continued to munch on my sandwich, wondering how long Rosa was going to be. Surely, the vending machine wasn't that far away.

Then, it happened again. Her device started ringing, and once again, it was the same person. Obviously, the matter was urgent, but I just couldn't muster the courage to answer on her behalf. She could call them back when she arrived.

As expected, after a while the ringing stopped, and 'two missed calls' flashed on the screen. Deep inside I wondered just who could be calling her so urgently. I had no idea what 'C' stood for, whether it was a code for someone, or just simply an initial that she could remember.

"Urgh…I have just been reminded why I never use vending machines…" Rosa's voice entered my ears, and when I turned around, I saw her walking back up the hill to where I was situated, holding two cans of soda pop. Her expression appeared exasperated to say the least.

"What happened?"

She sighed heavily, as her feet plodded heavily up the hill, until she was standing right in front of me. I grabbed the soda pop from her hands, and watched as she sat down beside me, her cheeks puffed out like an enraged Jigglypuff.

"Why did I have to choose the one vending machine that is so unpredictable?! Like, I pressed the Lemonade button! I didn't get Lemonade, I got Soda Pop! What is wrong with those blasted things?!" I couldn't help but smile at her words. Rosa had a habit of getting angry at inanimate objects.

"It doesn't matter. I like Soda Pop." She opened the can, the sound of the liquid fizzing erupting into the atmosphere.

"Yeah, but that's not the point. If I WANTED Soda Pop, I would have pressed that button!" A small chuckle escaped my lips, as I opened my can. Rosa was never intentionally amusing, but some of the things that occurred in her presence were too amazing not to laugh at.

As I sipped at the ice cold drink, the sound of her X-Transceiver ringing entered my ears for a third time, and instantly the brunette recognised it. She reached over the basket, and grabbed the device swiftly, her icy blue eyes scanning the screen intently for a sign of just who was behind the call. Then, she answered.

"Hello?" I glanced away, and decided against eavesdropping purposely. It wasn't any of my business, so I just drank my Soda Pop, and munched on another sandwich. Being ignorant was the best option right now.

"What…? You can't be serious!" She cried, and instantly my interest piqued. Her voice sounded desperate, almost pained, and that meant something bad was either happening, or about to happen.

"No….here?!" I watched as her eyes scanned the area nervously, and without even realising it, I ended up copying her actions, wondering just what she was looking for. Had something bad happened?

"Oh my….shit, what shall we do?!"

Her body language had altered drastically; from calm and carefree, to on edge and nervous. It was as if she had just gone full circle in a matter of seconds. Her sudden change in demeanour was now starting to affect me, and now I felt nervous.

"Right okay…thank you so much for the heads up. I'll call you later with any more information, okay?"

Everything was so secretive, and I didn't like it one bit. Was there something she was hiding from me? Something I wasn't supposed to know? My eyes focused on her intently, as she continued to warily check the surroundings like a Deerling caught in the headlights.

"I swear…I owe you for this. Speak soon!" And just like that, the conversation ended, and she thrust her X-Transceiver back into her bag, not wasting any time. Then, her eyes were on mine instantly, panic, and horror flooding the once beautiful calm icy blue depths. I could feel my heart start to beat ever faster in my chest, as my anxiety started to reach its peak.

"We have to leave here, right now." She warned me, her voice almost in a hushed whisper. My eyes blinked in confusion.

"Why?"

"Nate, you just have to trust me on this, okay? It's not safe." I didn't need to be told twice, and without even thinking I just nodded and helped her pack away. Was it those teenagers they spoke of on the television? Had they finally made their way to Aspertia? Were we in danger by being out in the open?

"Who was it who rang? A friend?" I asked, trying to sound as casual as possible, as we worked together to fold up the blanket.

"I guess you could say that…" She answered, her eyes not daring to meet mine.

"Why have you saved their number only as the initial C?" She paused, her whole body tensing. Then I realised that maybe I had put my foot in it somehow. Now, she would be aware of the fact I had checked the caller I.D previously.

"Nate, have you been spying on me?"

"N-no…! They rang earlier when you went to get the drinks. I never answered the call, I just saw the caller I.D." As the blanket was neatly folded up and put away, and Rosa grabbed the basket, she sighed heavily.

"You have to just trust me right now. I will tell you when the time is right, but now is not that time. Believe in me, okay?"

Her voice was soft, and I had no reason not to trust her about anything. Rosa had never hurt me, or let me down in the past, and I knew she wouldn't even dream about doing so intentionally. So, I nodded, deciding to leave the subject.

"Thank you…now, let's go back home."

As she walked back down from the lookout, I couldn't help but let my mind wonder. Rosa was never usually the sort of person to act secretive, or keep secrets from anyone, especially me. So why now?

Well, whatever the reason, I had this awful gut instinct that something terrible was about to unfold, and that no matter how hard I tried to deter from that, fate would always bring us back to the path of destruction.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Hey I'm back, with a relatively speedy update, considering my reputation. I want to thank everyone who has faved and reviewed on this fic. You guys have kept me going through my dark days, so sincerely thank you all. Here is a lovely chapter for you all, enjoy~!**

* * *

**Chapter Four**

Superstitions are weird and unusual beliefs, I mean; who thought that by walking underneath a ladder, or breaking a mirror would conjure up years of bad luck? Well, in a normal, everyday life situation, most people could possibly overlook superstitions as nothing more than fabrication, made up to tease paranoid passer-by's, and to forever twist the fabric of that person's mind. Today was a different matter entirely.

Today was Friday the 13th, and as we all know; bared connotations to bad occurrences, or freak accidents, so forgive me if I wasn't just a _little_ bit concerned here. It was also the dreaded day of my test results, and I had been a paranoid wreck all morning.

"Will you sit down, for Arceus sake?! You'll wear a groove into the carpet!" Touya cursed at me, as I paced around the living room, my hands furiously raking through my hair, and my heart thundering harder in my chest.

"I can't go…I can't go…" I mumbled weakly, trying to calm my breathing down to a more suitable level. Touya sighed, before he grabbed my shoulder's firmly, forcing my eyes to stare into his own; hard sienna eyes were almost consumed with concern.

"Nate, calm down, okay? You'll be fine. The results aren't the most important thing, remember that."

"Have you not SEEN the date, Touya?!" I cried, hearing my voice crack under the pressure, and I forced myself to look away.

"You don't really believe in that, do you? It's just a date, Nate; it doesn't mean the world is going to come crashing down around you." I wanted to believe him, really I did. If it would stop my heart hammering angrily against my chest, and calm down my overexert mind, I'd be up for that. Sadly, that was not an option.

"I'm scared…okay? I'm scared because I'm not ready for this…"

Touya's strong protective arms wrapped around me; hugging me as if he were trying to shield me from the cruel world. I clung desperately to his jacket, terrified to let go.

Why did it have to come around so fast? Why couldn't time have just stopped completely, and I could have stayed here at home, with Touya and Mom, and be happy?

_Why did Arceus doom our world? _

_Were we beyond saving?_

"Hey….I made you promise, remember? No-one is going to hurt you. I'd die before that happens…" Squeezing my eyes shut tightly, I buried my face into his chest, worried that if I let go he might simply disappear right before my eyes, and leave me to face the horrible poisonous world alone. That was something I couldn't handle, ever.

"Don't say those things…please" I begged, my heart literally tearing at the seams. The thought of Touya being taken from me was too much that I could take. If it happened…I just know I would not be _living _anymore, just merely _existing_; in an endless rut of pain and torment.

"You know I'd do anything for you…" He added in, his fingers gently teasing my hair in a subtle gesture to calm me down somewhat, and in a way, it was having an effect. My breathing wasn't shaky, or unstable, and slowly but surely, my heart was slowing down. That was a relief at least, the last thing we needed was a trip to the hospital due to an excessive anxiety attack.

"I…don't wanna go away for six weeks….I wanna stay here…with you…and Mom…"

"I know Nate, and we don't want you to go either…but it's something you have to do, and we will always be right by your side no matter what." I hated this. Why couldn't I just have a normal life like any other teenager? Why was I being thrust into an unforgiving world, making a life changing decision I had no idea about, with the threat of imminent war forever approaching?

Before I was fully aware of what was happening, I felt Touya gently lift my chin up with his fingers, forcing me to make direct eye contact. He flashed a supportive smile, and I swear I felt a little more of my soul break.

"You are strong, Nate. You just have to believe in yourself." How could I believe in myself? Self-doubt and paranoia had plagued my entire existence, so why would it magically disappear when I turned sixteen? It was okay for someone like Touya to say that I had to be strong, and get through this. He was always brave and resilient.

I wasn't strong….I was weak…a pathetic coward, who used to be scared of the dark, and had to sleep with a nightlight on. Who thought there were ghosts in the TV at night, and screamed if it wasn't covered up. Who foolishly believed that monsters hid under my bed, and wreaked havoc with my sleeping routine. So…how was I supposed to get through this?

**XXX**

"_This is breaking news just in! There have been various other sightings of the two wanted teenagers, fleeing the scene of another suspected petrol bomb attack, at the Battle Subway, in Nimbasa City. According to reports, there were no casualties, and International Police have sealed off the subway, until further notice. _

_"An eyewitness report states that the two teenagers were seen going towards Route 5, heading in the direction of the Driftveil Drawbridge. The Police have now issued a code red warning; do not approach these people, if you see them call the authorities. It is recommended that the civilians of Driftveil City stay indoors at all costs. We will keep you up to date on any other news that is obtained. Cerise Winters, reporting outside of the Battle Subway, Nimbasa City."_

**XXX**

"Did you guys see the news?" Rosa practically squealed down my ear, as I involuntarily flinched at the excessive noise. From the expression on Hugh's face, he didn't seem too pleased either.

We were currently sitting in a coffee shop, wasting precious time before we had to collect our results. Of course, it was Rosa's idea, as usual. The hot-headed blue haired male had protested once or twice, but backed off when his manhood was threatened.

"I did…it's getting worse with these rebel forces" Hugh mused, taking a sip from his glass of orange juice. I sighed, once again noticing that my heart had begun it's decent down into the sea of despair. News about rebel forces did little to lift my spirits, in fact; I became deeply concerned about what my future held in a world that was torn apart by war.

"I just wonder why the rebels are choosing such weird places, I mean; if they want to hurt Team Plasma, why don't they attack the damn castle?" Rosa suggested, looking at me from under her thick dark eyelashes, as she sipped her cappuccino.

"Perhaps it's to make a statement," Hugh interjected, not even giving me a chance to speak. "I mean, the rebels want to be noticed, so to get noticed they need publicity. By attacking important landmarks or places where a lot of people gather, it's only a matter of time before the media start realising what's going on."

"You know Hugh, you make a valid point. With reasoning like that I'm surprised it's not you who is doing the bombing~" Rosa teased, bobbing her tongue out at the blue haired male, who seemed deeply offended by her words.

"Don't you dare try to blame this on me!" I sighed heavily, not even touching my drink, and continued to gaze at the ice-cubes slowly dissolving. The banter between Rosa and Hugh was normality, and even though right now it was a saving grace, in the back of my mind it did little to offer any sort of comfort. Soon enough that banter would disappear from my life, and then things would never be the same again.

"Nate?" It was Rosa's concerned voice that pulled me from my reverie, and I was greeted with concerned glances from both parties. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…I'm fine…" I lied, not even considering telling them about my stupid fears about Friday the 13th. The last thing I needed right now was more torment and grief.

"It's hardly a good day, is it? I mean, we get our results, and Monday we are whisked away to Castelia City, to make a life changing decision that could either destroy us completely, or be the best thing that has ever happened."

"Hugh! Depending on what specialism we choose depends on if, we will EVER see each other! If we all choose differently, then…oh my…it doesn't even bear thinking about!" The conversation continued to destroy my soul, with every cursed word that escaped into the atmosphere. Right now, all my fears were being thrown around so casually, and that was something I was not comfortable with.

"Do you still want to choose Grass?" Hugh asked, sipping from his glass. Rosa furrowed her brow in thought, clasping her hands together, so she could rest her chin on them.

"Hmmm…I'm undecided. I guess I'll wait and see what my results say first."

"That's odd, the other day you were all for the Grass specialism" Hugh had a point. She had told me that was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life, but now the time was quickly approaching, obviously it was a bigger decision that she first realised.

"It's a big decision…it's likely that all of us will constantly change our minds until we are actually standing outside the doors…" I mumbled, swirling my straw in the glass, watching the liquid create a tiny whirlpool.

"Urgh…WHY does there have to be so many types?!" She cursed, bowing her head down, so she was resting her forehead on her hands, sighing heavily.

"I overheard someone talking about yet another type being found on an offshore region, that hasn't been revealed yet." Hugh mused thoughtfully, and this piece of information grabbed Rosa's interest immediately.

"ANOTHER type?!" She bellowed, and I winced in response to the overpowering loud noise. Hugh's expression contorted to that of slight anguish.

"Must you shout? The whole café has probably heard everything now."

"This is serious, Hugh! If another type has been found, that means the rules of Plasma dictatorship is bound to change! It will literally alter the balance of everything!"

I stopped twirling my straw, allowing my mind to process the information. A new type? Was that even possible? Surely we would be notified by now if any of this was true. However, Rosa did have a point; a new type would set the Meowth amongst the Pidgey's.

"I guess all we can do now is just wait for any news about it…" I mumbled weakly.

"Nate, a new type could seriously alter our choice at the ceremony! It would affect type matchups, weaknesses, strengths, everything!"

"It hasn't been approved as of yet, so we don't know anything about it, or where it has been found. It could be years before they make a breakthrough and decide to tell the world about it."

"Then, why don't we all do our best to find out more information? Surely, someone must know something!" Rosa beamed, seemingly excited about this new revelation, however the emotions and feelings that were consuming me were not positive in any way.

A new type would surely be a hindrance than a help to our cause. Added pressure at exams, and on results day, another factor to consider when at the choosing ceremony, all of it was just necessary; something I didn't want to be part of.

"You do realise that even if anyone DID know anything, they wouldn't tell us. I mean, what if Plasma found out that a group of teenagers were getting smart to their plans? They might take drastic action to ensure we keep our noses clean, and don't interfere in their business ever again." Hugh piped up, his crimson eyes flaring with concern. Rosa sighed; obviously unhappy with the fact Hugh had once again burst her metaphorical bubble.

"He's right…I mean, Team Plasma aren't known for their empathy, or their kindness." I added in quietly.

"Urgh…why does growing up suck so bad?!" Rosa complained dramatically, flopping down on the table, her arms spread out, and her forehead touching the wooden glaze of the furniture. I sighed heavily, knowing exactly what she meant. Growing up did suck, in fact, I just wanted to stay at home forever right now.

"Too true, but, we have each other, right? What was it you said, Rosa? Best friend's forever, right?" Hugh said aloud, smiling a little to offer the brunette some form of comfort. Rosa raised her sparkling azure eyes, and ended up flashing a pained smile in response.

"Yeah…so no matter what happens we will always have each other, even if we are miles apart." My chest heaved in pain, as I fused my eyes closed. I desperately wanted to believe their words, that no matter what specialism we chose, or if we wouldn't get to see each other for months at a time, we would still remain best friends till the end.

However, my gut was churning with uncertainty and the oppressing fear that somehow things would never be that simple; especially under Team Plasma dictatorship. No, life as I knew it was crumbling right in front of my eyes, and I was powerless to prevent the outcome.

**XXX**

Closing my eyes, I inhaled deeply, attempting to steady my nerves, as I prepared myself for my results. Rosa's hand held my own firmly, refusing to let go, and giving it a reassuring squeeze every now and then. Her azure eyes sparkled brightly, indicating without words that everything would be alright. I wanted to believe her..

The staff at the Pokemon Trainer's school thought it would be beneficial if instead of receiving our results at the assembly, that each and every one of us were to be called into the meeting room, and be given them in a silver envelope. Hugh had been called in first, whilst Rosa and I waited in the hall, surrounded by other nervous students, who furiously chewed at their fingernails, or bounced their legs up and down in anticipation.

My eyes focused on the clock once more. Hugh had been gone for well over ten minutes, and deep inside I was starting to become concerned. Had the results been bad, and that was why he was taking so long?

"Nate…relax, will you? Everything will be fine." Rosa assured me, smiling softly.

"Hugh's been gone for a long time…what if something has happened?" I murmured pathetically, resenting my own cowardice nature.

"He'll be fine! He's as tough as old boots! Give him some credit, cupcake~" My ears perked up to yet another student being summoned to one of the rooms. It was a short girl, with blonde hair and glasses. She nervously got up from her seat, smoothed down her skirt, and plodded cautiously over to the door. _'Not long now…soon it will be my turn' _

"What type do you want your results to confirm?" Rosa asked quietly, as I turned back to face her. I shrugged my shoulder's a little, unsure of her question. Right now, I had no idea. The only thing I was concerned about was that my results were so bad that I would be rejected from every single type, and be a failure.

"I…uh…I'm not sure, you?" Her body leaned forward, eyes flickering to the window, before once again meeting my own.

"I wanted Grass…but with what I chose in the exam…I think it might be something like Electric, or even Steel." There was not a slight hint of disappointment in her voice, so I assumed that even if she received that as her result she would be okay with it. Then again, like Touya had said; the results were guidelines, and not set in stone.

The sound of the door opening to our right alerted my senses, and in unison, we both turned around, our eyes greeted by the sight of wild blue hair, and a confused expression. It was Hugh, and in his hands was a silver envelope.

"What did you get?!" Rosa practically screamed at him, watching as he walked casually closer to our seats, and plopped his figure down beside me. He sighed, allowing his head to rest back against the headrest, crimson eyes obviously pained.

"…I got Fighting…" He muttered weakly. "I don't know how though…I mean, I assumed I'd get Fire, or Ground…"

"That's great! Fighting is a great specialism!" Rosa enthused, and even though she was only trying to make Hugh feel better about his results, she had no idea that it was probably making the issue worse to deal with.

"I don't think I'll choose Fighting as my specialism though."

"Oh?" Her large eyes blinked in confusion, whilst I continued to feel evermore awkward about the apparent situation. I just wanted this to all be over, so I could go home and forget about reality for a little while longer.

"Molly loves Purrloin, and I can't get one for her if I choose Fighting. So, I think I'm going to choose Dark."

"You're…going to choose a specialism…because of your sister?" The brunette asked, her voice sounding a little unsure about the idea, after all; Hugh had to live with this for the rest of his life. He nodded, a flash of determination lighting up his features.

"It can't be that bad, right?" As soon as those words escaped into the chilling, and surprisingly suffocating atmosphere around us, my ears perked up to the distinct sound of another door opening; to my left this time, and a woman peering from beyond its depths.

"Nathan Black!" She bellowed, and as if on command, I shot to my feet, releasing Rosa's grip on my hand. My heart started its heavy assault in my chest, causing each breath to literally burn in my lungs. This was it. There was no going back.

"Good luck, cupcake!" Rosa beamed, smiling brightly. Hugh nodded his head in affirmation, deciding against voicing his thoughts, not that I minded. I just wanted to get this agonising thing over with, and then attempt to build my fragile future around it.

Mechanically I trudged over to the open door, where the lady smiled kindly, much in the same manner I was used to seeing at home from my Mom. She held the door open for me, as I nervously stepped across the threshold, into a rather small room.

It bared resemblance to a cluttered storage room, _without the clutter_. There was a tiny foldaway desk, that sat in the middle of the room, with a chair situated in front and a chair behind. The lady wandered over to one of the chairs, and sat down silently, her murky grey eyes burning into me.

"Please, sit down." With a wave of her hand, she gestured to the empty seat, and without any hesitation I complied, stuffing my hands into my pockets for comfort. The room was deathly silent, apart from the sound of a ticking clock on the wall, agonisingly passing every second, every minute.

My eyes focused on her actions, watching as she pulled out a large black folder, and started to aimlessly flip through the pages, obviously searching for my name. A lump congealed in my throat as my eyes skimmed Rosa's name, only it was highlighted in red, unlike the others. I wondered what that meant.

With a smile the kind lady came across my name, and pulled out the pure silver envelope from the plastic wallet, and gestured for me to take it. I did so, albeit it nervously. One path to my future was concealed behind this shiny material, a path I could choose to follow, or dismiss completely.

"Congratulations on your result, Nate. I'm sure you'll be pleased." She beamed at me, that smile remaining on her features, as my eyes trailed down to the seal of the envelope. I wanted to rip it open, but at the same time I was apprehensive of doing so. Then again, the lady seemed enthusiastic, so maybe the result was good? With that thought in mind I ripped open the seal, rushing to empty its contents and just get it over with.

"There…must be some kind of mistake…" I murmured, as I stared at the words on the page. _These couldn't have been my results…maybe there was a mix up with someone else? _

"No, no, I assure you, all the results were verified by an independent adjudicator. There would be no mix up." My hands started to tremble as the information was still furiously trying to burrow into my brain cells, and make it stick_. _

_I hadn't failed! No…in fact, I somehow managed to get the EXACT result as Touya did._

"I…I really got Fire?" I stammered, and the lady nodded, smiling sweetly.

"Nate, you don't always have to choose the bravest options in the exam to receive the Fire specialism. Sometimes choosing the safest option can be the best solution in the long run."

"I-I…but, I was a coward!" I cried, still staring at the piece of paper, unable to contemplate how the hell this even happened.

"You associate Fire with bravery don't you? Well, see it this way- Fire is also determination, passion, and also devotion. A specialism doesn't cover just one type of person," She answered, leaning back in her chair. "If it worked that way, the world would be a very boring and mechanical place. Besides, you don't have to choose Fire if you don't think it's for you."

She was right. Touya had got the same result as I did, and he chose the Psychic specialism. I guess I could do the same when the time came around. Still, I got a great result, and it relieved a lot of stress in such a short amount of time.

"Yeah…thank you!" I rose to my feet, stuffing the piece of paper back into the envelope. I needed to tell Rosa and Hugh the good news! Now, I just hoped Rosa got a good result too.

"Don't thank me, thank yourself." I nodded, and rushed out of the room, with a spring in my step. All my fears, and anxieties about failing were gone, like that heavy weight on my heart was now lifted and finally I was free.

As I wandered back into the hall, Rosa and Hugh noticed me immediately, and smiles spread across everyone's face. It was obvious they knew my results were positive. The brunette bounced to her feet, before literally crushing me in the biggest hug I had ever received.

"Was it good news?" She squealed, and when I nodded, she practically bounced up and down on her toes, overjoyed. Hugh smiled, genuinely happy but obviously, he wasn't the sort of person to bounce up and down in joy over something like this. It was just NOT his style.

"What did you get?" Hugh piped up, watching the both of us, as Rosa finally released her vice grip, so I could actually breathe.

"I got Fire!"

"Oh Nate! That's great news! I'm so proud of you!" I smiled at hearing Rosa so happy. Now, I just prayed that her results her good, and not bad, after all; her name was highlighted in red. I decided against telling her that right now to ruin the mood. Unfortunately, I didn't even have to say a word; a loud authoritative voice boomed over the crowd, silencing everyone.

"Rosa Mei, can you please report to room 1-A please, thank you." Her azure eyes scanned around curiously, wondering why she had to 'report' to somewhere, and wasn't being summoned like everyone else.

"That's odd," Hugh mused, thoughtfully. "Has something bad happened?"

"Don't say that…" I murmured weakly, holding Rosa's arms gently, offering as much support as possible. For the first time in my life, my childhood friend actually looked worried; scared even. Then again, if I was in her position I'd be terrified.

"Come on guys! It's probably nothing!" She painted on a smile, which was obviously fake, but I decided against saying anything. Just mentioning it might make the whole thing worse.

"Well…good luck."

"Thanks cupcake~" She ruffled my hair playfully, before pulling away, smoothing down her clothes. She took a deep breath, and made her way over to the ominous door, labelled 1-A. My eyes followed her, feeling nervous. I hoped everything was okay, and that nothing bad was going to happen.

Deep inside I desperately needed answers to what the red highlight meant. Did it mean something, a symbol perhaps? Was she top of the class? Did she need to retake the test? Had she…failed?

My heart sank as I slumped down into my seat, allowing my eyes to drift out of focus for a few minutes, trying to remind myself to breathe. _No…Rosa wouldn't fail the exam…she was so clever! She was bound to get a great specialism! It was Rosa…! She had to…right?_

**_XXX_**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Wahey! Update! But, I apologise in advance if it's bad. I just...couldn't get into it . and I'm not happy with it, but, here you go any ways. Enjoy it if you can, and review too!**

**Chapter Five**

"My exam results were…unclassified."

Right now, there was little that my body could actually do without it succumbing to a seizure or a fit of shock. So, I just blinked in recognition, attempting to understand the reasoning behind her failure.

_I thought it was impossible to fail the test? Wasn't that what Touya had told me? Unless…he lied to me just so I wouldn't panic…_

"What the hell does that mean?" Hugh asked, his voice cold, and almost irritated by this bout of seemingly bad news. The brunette sighed, and shrugged her shoulders weakly, her apparent sorrow was etched permanently on her once carefree features. It made me feel sad, watching how upset she was, and being unable to aid her in anyway.

"I'm not sure, they didn't tell me much, just that I have to re-take the test today."

"Today? Are you the only person who didn't pass?" I added in, evermore curious to this knowledge. Something just wasn't right here. Rosa, as far as I knew chose answers that were similar; if not exact with mine_. _

_So why did she fail, and I got a great specialism? I was almost certain that my results would give me something like Water, or Grass…so why was I granted the complete opposite? This didn't make any sense._

"Nate, I have no idea. They don't discuss other student's results, it's some code of conduct they've got, but either way it's not as if I have a choice in the matter."

"Can you still go to the choosing ceremony on Monday?" Hugh interjected, crimson eyes indignant with anxiety. Even though he wasn't the sort of person to voice his discontentment, it was painfully obvious.

"Yeah, I can still go to that. Don't worry, I'm not leaving you guys just yet~" She smiled, and even though it wasn't one of her signature beaming smiles, it worked nonetheless. Not knowing what further action to do I just hugged her, hoping that this time she would ace the test, and get a great result. The last thing I wanted was for my best friend to fail, and not even achieve a specialism.

"I wonder if they'll change the questions…" Hugh mused thoughtfully, and it did seem plausible. After all, Rosa would probably know what she chose in the last exam and purposely chose different answers so she wouldn't get the same result.

"It will probably be even worse this time around…" I added in, shuddering at the thought. The exam was stressful enough the first time, let alone retaking it.

"Oh come on guys! I'm a big girl, I can handle a few measly questions."

"Just make sure you don't fail this time. Even if you choose answers that are ridiculous or against your better judgement; do it- for the sake of getting to the ceremony." Her azure eyes rolled playfully, as she nudged his shoulder, indicating without words that she was going to heed his advice. He had a point, she just had to pass the exam, and she could choose her specialism at the ceremony.

_One step at a time, just like Touya had said._

"Anyway, the exam starts in ten minutes, so I better get going," With that said we all rose to our feet, and Rosa planted a soft kiss on my cheek, and then did the same for Hugh. "I'll call you guys later, okay?"

"Good luck, Rosa." I muttered, praying to Arceus that he would give her the strength and courage to pass this exam, and actually get to the ceremony with us. Truth be told, I needed her there. Yes, Hugh was there in all his protective- mother hen glory, but I needed her optimism, and bravery.

_One way or another, when she was around I knew everything would work out, somehow._

"Ah, I'll smash it this time. Just you watch!"

"Don't get overconfident. That's why you failed last time." Hugh grumbled, and I watched as she planted her hands on her hips firmly, her eyes glaring impishly.

"No-one asked for your opinion, darling~" A sigh escaped his lips, as he folded his arms defensively. This was just normal behaviour between them, fighting, arguing then making up, and starting the cycle all over again.

_Not that I minded. These were times were had to cherish, because soon enough everything would be torn apart..._

"I'm just saying. The last thing any of us needs right now is for you to fail completely and not even get a chance to choose a specialism." Absent-mindedly she played with a strand of hair that had come loose from one of the buns. Upon appearance it seemed she wasn't paying attention, but deep down I knew she was taking all of Hugh's words to heart.

"Alright, I won't forget. Sheesh, you're worse than my Mom."

I knew it was inappropriate to laugh, but at that moment in time I couldn't help it. She had a point, Hugh did act like the peacekeeper of the group, always making sure we were alright, and constantly scolding Rosa for her recklessness. However, it seemed to make a great group dynamic, and that was probably one of the reasons our friendship had survived thus far.

"See you later, cupcake!" With a wave of her hand, we both watched as she strode over to the door she had been summoned to previously, and our eyes followed her until her figure disappeared inside the room. The only thing left for us to do was just hope she passed this time. Hugh sighed heavily, running his fingers through his mass of blue hair.

"So, what now? Do we wait for her?"

"She said she'd call us, so I think we should head on home and tell our families the good news." I suggested, and he nodded in response. All the other students that had accompanied us earlier had all left the building, so it was just Hugh and I in the large spacious hall, and a dozen or so empty chairs. Even though a part of me wanted to wait for Rosa, another part was terrified that the result would be catastrophic again, and that was something my feeble mind couldn't handle right now.

_Think positive Nate…_

As we both walked towards the exit, a faint noise that sounded similar to that of rustling, was heard just beyond the large doors. Upon inspection, it seemed Hugh noticed it too, his eyes flaring cautiously around the room, like a Watchog on patrol.

"Did you hear that?" He asked quietly, to which I nodded, unnerved. Perhaps it was just a Pokemon outside? It seemed likely, especially when today was when the trash collectors came to collect all the waste from the town. It was only natural the upheaval would pique the interests of curious natured Pokemon.

"Let's check it out."

With that said, Hugh walked ahead of me, and lamely I trundled behind. If it wasn't a Pokemon, and it was in fact something far greater, tagging behind Hugh seemed the safer option, if not the most cowardice too.

A_fter all, how were we to know it wasn't those two dangerous teenagers from the news report?_

**XXX**

When we both got outside everything was more or less peaceful. Pidoves were cooing in the trees overhead, and the sun was shining brightly in the sky. There were also no signs of life in town, everyone who was bustling around a few hours earlier had now either gone to the busier towns for work, or ventured indoors for the day. That just left Hugh and me, standing outside the Pokemon Trainer's School, ears pricked for that noise.

We didn't have to wait long. As if on command another rustling noise in the bushes to our left alerted both of us, and our bodies tensed in alarm. Hugh, outstretched his hand, ensuring that I stayed behind him just in case it wasn't a Pokemon, and we were in fact being attacked.

"Stay here, I'm gonna go check it out." He assured me, but my curiosity was always a major flaw in my persona. If someone beckoned me not to do something, the chances are that I would do it just out of spite; even if the result turned out to be fatal.

"N-no…I'm staying with you." I said defiantly, keeping enough distance between us so if something did in fact lunge at me I had a head start in getting away. Hugh scanned the area vigilantly, preparing for a sudden onslaught. I could feel my heart start its heavy decent in my chest, thundering powerfully as if subconsciously it was preparing for the worst.

The rustling noise seemed to get even louder, and closer than before, which did little to calm my nerves. Then again, if it were Rebel Forces, I doubted the likeliness of them skulking around in bushes. From the news bulletin, it seemed they preferred to take a more drastic approach, something that would strike fear into the hearts of their oppressors.

"Steady…" Hugh muttered quietly, taking a cautious step forward to the bushes, and the location of where the noise was coming from. Anxiously I chewed on my bottom lip, hoping that it was nothing more than a curious Pokemon, something that could easily be dealt with.

The rustling increased in volume, and Hugh's body tensed in preparation.

_Was he really going to lunge into the bushes? Wasn't that dangerous?_

Still, at least I was on guard if anything else happened. Another step forward and Hugh was more or less above the designated area, crimson eyes focused intently for the next movement.

"Go!" He yelled, as the bush rustled another time, and he lunged himself into the thicket, arms attempting to grab onto whatever the culprit was. Without thinking I gasped, watching helplessly as the rustling intensified. If it was just a Pokemon, the chances are the poor thing would be traumatised by now. Only our assumptions proved invalid.

"Get off me!" Came an alarmed voice, soon accompanied by a mass of dirty blond hair, and then Hugh.

"What the hell are you doing hiding in bushes?!" Crimson eyes flared in anger at the other party, who tugged at his hair, removing leaves and broken branches from his locks.

"I'm TRYING to do something here!"

"What? Audition for a top secret agent in the next block buster hit movie?!" The blond appeared irritated by Hugh's attitude, and even more annoyed at the fact he had been attacked by said boy, causing his hair to become dirty, and his clothes dishevelled.

"Hugh…maybe we should hear what he has to say?" I suggested, watching as azure eyes glanced into mine briefly. I still desired to understand the reasons to why he was hiding in the bushes in the first place, unless he was hiding from someone? Then, that would make sense at least.

"Right, come on then blondey, spit it out." Hugh scolded, as the other boy merely looked away, refusing to answer any of our questions. A sigh escaped my lips. It was never Hugh's forte at trying to communicate with unknown forces, whether that be strangers, or friend's that his sister had made at school. Somehow, he always managed to irritate someone, or say something offensive.

"Why should I tell you anything, you arrogant jerk." I could literally see the anger in blazing in Hugh's eyes at being called arrogant. The jerk part he could handle, after all, Rosa used that term on a daily basis. It was just normality.

"Well, I'm guessing there is a reason to why you are hiding around in bushes, so, how about I notify the authorities about this? I'm sure they'd be all too willing to hear what you have to say."

"W-wait…!" The blond-haired boy cried desperately. "Don't call the Police…it's not what you think…"

"Then come on, I'm all ears." I sighed at Hugh's behaviour, but decided against getting involved. After all, I would probably somehow manage to make the situation ten times worse. Azure eyes flickered downwards for a moment, as if he were contemplating exactly what to say.

"I'm looking out for a friend…" He answered eventually.

"In the bushes?"

"They don't know I'm in Aspertia…" Hugh blinked, incredulously, quite obviously not taken in by the other boy's words. He appeared sincere to me, but then again I wasn't the best at judging character. There had been many times when I had believed a person to be nice, and then they would stab you in the back as much as look at you.

"So, let me get this straight…you're hiding in the bushes, because you're looking out for a friend, who doesn't know you're in town?" Hugh finalised, and the blond nodded. Without another word being uttered Hugh got to his feet, brushing off all the crumpled leaves, and broken twigs from his clothes, and outstretched a hand to help the boy stand. He did so, still apparently weary of his surroundings.

"That doesn't make much sense…"

"I bet you guys have heard about the attacks in Castelia City, and Nimbasa?" As those words escaped into the air, both myself and Hugh nodded obediently.

_Did this guy know more about the two teenagers that were on the run from the authorities?_

"Yes, it's all over the news." I finally spoke up. The other boy sighed heavily, raking his fingers through his hair, eyes downcast to the ground.

"The news reports are all lies," He murmured quietly, shifting his weight anxiously from one foot to the other. "They are being set up."

"Who? The two teenagers?" Hugh asked, seemingly interested at this vital piece of information. He received a nod in recognition.

"Yes. Team Plasma are doing the attacks, and blaming them for it."

"Why would they blame civilians for that? It doesn't seem to make any sense…" I added in, and it really didn't. There was no reason for them to attack the public, and especially places like the Pokemon Centre, or the Battle Subway. Both are funded by government, so for them to willingly destroy their own funding, it seemed a little self-destructive, if not suicidal.

"No, no, that's not what I'm getting at. There are Rebel Forces, being led by a higher power, a power Team Plasma seek to get on their side for their own malicious wants and desires. These teenagers are part of the Rebel Forces, so they are attacking their own places of interest purposely, and pinning the blame on the Rebels so the public side with Plasma dictatorship, until there becomes an uprising."

"Or war…" I muttered sadly, hating the fact that everything Touya had told me was true. Rebel Forces were planning to overthrow the dictatorship, and he was going to join them if he had to. That meant destruction, and death, something that I wanted no part of. Hugh sighed, perplexed. It was a lot to take in.

"So…these two teenagers aren't attacking these cities, but…Team Plasma is?" The blond nodded meekly, his azure eyes scanning the area intently for any onlookers or eavesdroppers. The last thing any of us needed was a nosey neighbour calling the authorities.

"Those bastards…" Hugh cursed, and in support, I pressed my hand to his arm, knowing just how much he hated the dictatorship with a fiery passion.

"Team Plasma know that their grip on the region is slipping, especially now more and more people are joining the Rebel Forces. It's only a matter of time…"

"How do you know all this?" I asked, finally gaining the courage to speak up. This boy seemed to be very informed with the goings on, so unless he knew someone on the inside, this didn't make much sense.

"First, tell me: do you want to end the dictatorship?" I glanced at Hugh, who didn't even need to think it through. He nodded immediately, and then all eyes were focused on me. I tensed, feeling extremely nervous. It was true, I hated the dictatorship, but was far too much of a coward to put any plan into action to prevent it. However, Touya would join the Rebels, so if he believed in them then I had to at least try.

"Yeah…" I answered, and the blond smiled sincerely.

"So, can I trust you guys?"

"Well, we haven't dogged you into the cops yet, right?" Hugh answered, and in response, I lightly jabbed him in the ribs with my elbow. He groaned in discontentment, but said nothing on the matter.

"That is a valid point, however it would be in your best interests to forget you even saw me here."

"Why?" Before I was aware of it the question slipped off my tongue, and out into the open, causing said blond to sigh wearily.

"The last thing I want is to involve members of the public who desire no part in the two opposing forces. If you know anything about Team Plasma, or the Rebels, you should forget about it, or keep your mouths shut."

His voice sounded dark, not with a threatening undertone, but something that sent an earth-shattering shiver down my spine nonetheless. Hugh's expression remained nonchalant, before he snorted at the remark.

"Are you sure you're not just saying this because you're a wanted criminal, and want to escape the clutches of the authorities?"

"If you even breathe this encounter to anyone, they might label you as a Rebel, and then Arceus knows what Team Plasma would do. Trust me, I'm not saying this to save myself."

It seemed he was being truthful in the words he spoke so willingly, and I had little choice but to trust him. Perhaps forgetting we even ran into this guy would be beneficial in the long run.

"So, say we do forget we even saw you, what then? Do you plan to run along and continue with your criminal antics, in your evil empire high in the sky?" Hugh stated, to which I sighed.

_Could he have chosen a more clichéd example if he tried?_

The blond just stared incredulously.

"I-I…I'm not a criminal…"

"You WOULD say that, huh? I mean, you were hiding in the bushes. Looks a little suspicious, don't you think?" I could tell Hugh had his defence up, so obviously he believed this guy to be a threat somehow. He didn't seem to be up to no good, and it's not like we saw him do anything illegal. We had no substantial proof of this allegation.

"You will just have to trust me on this, okay?"

I gripped Hugh's arm, and as crimson eyes met mine, I indicated without words to drop the subject. Antagonising this boy would not do us any favours right now, especially if everything he said was the truth. Thankfully, Hugh didn't push the subject, and the choking atmosphere died down nicely.

"Nate!"

At the mention of my name I spun on my heels, until my eyes connected with a pair of warm sienna ones, and a hyperactive Eevee to boot. She leapt right into my arms, purring contently as she rubbed her forehead affectionately against my chest. I smiled at the figure of my big brother, grateful to see him once again. He must have come here to find out about my result.

"Touya! I'm so glad to see you!"

I really was. I felt my heart jump in my chest at just seeing him here, his kind eyes staring into my own. However, there was little time for such pleasantries.

A loud booming noise, that sounded similar to that of an explosion rung in my ears, and I winced in response. Everyone ducked down around me, and Lily pined in apprehension. Quickly I glanced around, wondering where the noise came from, until my heart literally stopped in my chest. Thick black smoke billowed out of the side of the Pokemon Trainers School, smothering the entire area around us.

"What was that?!" Hugh cried, crimson eyes blazing in fury. Immediately Touya rushed over to me, wrapping his arm protectively around my shoulders, crushing both myself and Lily against his chest.

"Oh no…" The blond haired boy mumbled to himself, before standing up straight once again. He seemed cautious about his surroundings, which did little to ease my fragile heart right now.

"Do you think Plasma attacked the school?!" Hugh asked me, to which I shrugged weakly. Touya's sienna eyes widened as the information started to sink into his brain cells.

"Plasma?"

"Yeah, apparently it's Team Plasma who have been attacking cities, not those two rebel teenagers." I said nothing, and continued to just hold onto Touya's jacket, desperately longing to feel safe once more. Lily's ears were now drooped downwards, and her whole body was trembling in my arms.

"So…it's a set up…" Touya mused, his arm continuing to press me closer against him, ensuring that there were no other potential explosions nearby.

"There are people inside the building, we should ensure their safety…" The blond murmured, before walking ahead of us, towards the large oak door.

"B-but…if Plasma is inside…"

"Then we get rid of them by force." He stated formally, and I shivered with fear.

_We would…have to fight them? I didn't even have my starter Pokemon yet, and it wasn't as if I could ask Lily to fight. She was so young and inexperienced. I didn't want her to get hurt…_

The figure of my big brother nodded in response, and I watched nervously as he reached into his jacket pocket and retrieved a Pokeball. Within a few seconds, and amongst a flash of white light, Musharna appeared and floated beside her master.

"If it's a fight they want, then a fight they'll get!"

"Uh…this is great and all, but Nate and I don't have any Pokemon to use right now." Hugh interjected, and I was forever thankful. Right now I didn't have any courage to speak out about my feelings on the subject, but Hugh always managed it somehow. This piqued the interest of the blond, who nodded in response.

"Not to worry. I have more than enough Pokemon to lend to you if the moment should arise. For now, I recommend you two stay behind whilst we both infiltrate the building, and access the damage."

"N-no…" I murmured, clutching at Touya's jacket desperately. "I want to go with you…"

"Are you sure? It might be dangerous…" I nodded, trying my best to gain some determination and courage from somewhere. At least Lily had calmed down somewhat, and now seemed curious to what was going on. Hugh grunted in disapproval.

"Well, I'm going too. I'm not gonna wait on the side-lines like some damsel in distress."

"You will only get in the way." The blond stated calmly, azure eyes narrow in concentration. "Both of you should head on home while you still have the chance." For an odd reason, his words hurt me deeply. It was as if I was a burden, and would only drag them down…that I had no redeeming qualities to add to the mix. Lily growled in response, her tail stiffening in preparation to lunge, but with a stroke of my hand on her head, she quickly settled down.

"What did you just say?!" Hugh roared, getting right up in the blond's face. "Who the fuck do you think you are?!"

"I repeat, you'll just get in the way. Please, it would be beneficial if you both went home and forgot about this." The calm undertone to the blond's voice, was literally causing steam to billow out of the hot-headed teen's ears. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, body tense with adrenaline.

"Why you little…I've a good mind to-"

"This is not helping right now. We need to find out what's happened inside the building. Fighting each other will solve nothing." Touya said defiantly, eyes glaring at both parties. Of course he was right.

_Rosa was in that building! I hoped that she was okay, and wasn't hurt._

"You are right. Fighting each other is a hopeless case. Let's go." I could tell Hugh was still seething inside, as both the blond and my brother walked on ahead of us, and entered the building. However, it was up to us to prove that we weren't weaklings who needed babysitting. That we were both capable of stepping up to the plate when we needed to.

"Don't be angry…" I muttered quietly, watching the figure of my best friend intently. He grunted, and folded his arms. It seemed he would never be destined to get along with the new mystery stranger.

"He talks like he fucking owns the place! It pisses me off!"

"Then, let's prove him wrong." Lily purred in response, large brown eyes looking up at Hugh. He appeared thoughtful for a moment, until it seemed he came around to the idea.

"Are you gonna fight with Eevee?"

"Well…uh…" I glanced down at her, and our eyes met. She nodded in determination, and for once I felt that having her constant support in my life could only be a blessing in disguise. Together we could grow strong, stronger than I'd ever dream. "Yeah! We'll fight together!"

Hugh nodded, before he scanned the area once again. Soon enough he paused in his actions, and picked up a lofty branch that must have been broken off one of the nearby trees. It looked heavy, and capable of damage.

"Then, I'll go for the old fashioned method." He grinned with courage, and I couldn't help but smile back.

"You, and your weapons…"

"It's better than nothing, right? Besides, Plasma might have Pokemon, but they aren't gonna be commanding anyone when they have concussion~" He made an excellent point once again. The thought of Hugh sneaking up behind Team Plasma grunts, with this humungous branch was quite humorous to say the least.

"Very true…well, let's put the plan into action then!" Hugh nodded, and hoisted the branch higher and into a better position. Lily climbed out of my arms, until she was perched on my shoulder.

"Ready?" I asked her, to which she crooned in response. With a nod, and a nervous disposition, both myself and Hugh tried to mentally prepare ourselves for what was about to happen inside. However, as we stepped across the threshold, and into the abyss, little did we know that at that precise moment our lives would turn upside down, and rendered completely useless.

_Life as we knew it would never be the same…_

**XXX**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: My gosh, what a fast update! I had so much fun with this chapter I just couldn't put it down! I hope you guys enjoy it too! Remember, reviews get you guys faster updates! It motivates me! Plus, I love hearing your thoughts on the story! However, I ramble...please enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Six**

I had precisely three seconds to manoeuvre my body swiftly to the left hand side to circumvent an intense flamethrower, that was directed straight at my head, and in retrospect, I believed I acted in just under two.

_Thankfully._

"Veeee!" Lily yelled, as she leapt off my shoulder and used her Sand Attack technique desperately. For a moment, nothing seemed to register in my mind, apart from one vital nugget of information. Within another second, I would have been burnt to cinders, and probably dead…

"Nate?!" Hugh cried, I could hear his voice pained with worry, yet I was paralysed. I just couldn't move, even though I so desperately wanted to. Before I was consciously aware of it, he was at my side, crimson eyes darting anxiously.

"Eee…..veee!" She yelled once more, kicking up a mini sandstorm in the face of our attacker, who I couldn't make out right now. I didn't even have the energy to speak, to tell Lily what attacks to use. Right now, she was merely going by instinct.

"Nate, snap out of it!" Roughly, he shook my shoulders, completely disregarding the branch he acquired earlier. His face was indignant with concern, and I could clearly see that he too was just as frightened as I was. Without warning, a pained sob burst from my throat, as my body became free from the temporary paralysis.

"We have to find the others!" He called to me, grabbing me by the arm, and literally dragging me through the ongoing war. Lily noticed our sudden disappearance and scampered after us, avoiding the occasional attack thrown her way.

_The school…it was literally destroyed. _

The walls were crumbling to pieces, the carpet had been pulled up, and patches of it had been completely burned away. The pictures that once decorated the walls were now smashed on the ground, shattered glass strewn everywhere. Most of all, there were seemingly hundreds of Team Plasma Grunts.

The cries of Pokemon, and the shouts of the Grunts were the only noises that my ears could decipher amongst the chaos, and every so often another explosion added to the heart wrenching sound, and caused my body to heave painfully.

We came to a stop behind a pillar, Hugh pressing my body against his, as he eyed the surroundings wearily. We were so close, I could feel his own heart, hammering angrily inside his chest, and feel the rapid rise and fall of every intake of breath. I couldn't see Touya, or the blond haired boy from before. All I saw were Grunts, some dressed in black, others in white, and all were attacking with their Pokemon.

"This isn't good…" Hugh mused quietly, his arms wrapped tightly around my body. "This place is crawling with Plasma…"

"Wh-what…shall we do?" I murmured weakly, looking up into his eyes. A frown scarred his features but for a moment, until something clicked inside his head.

"We need to get to that room that Rosa was going to retake the exam."

"B-but…that room is over the other side of the hall…" That meant, we had to run for our lives in between the onslaught of attacks, and fighting, and pray that somehow we made it out the other side. Lily curled her tail around my legs affectionately, indicating that she would never abandon me in this time for need, and I was forever grateful.

"Then, we need a distraction..." Once again, crimson eyes darted around the slowly falling apart tapestry, and structure of the building.

_There must be something that we could use, or do…think Nate, think! _

"Musharna, Psychic!" Suddenly the voice of Touya entered the fray of noises, accompanied by Musharna's high pitched squeal, as she cast her strongest attack on our foes. Pained cries and screams could be heard amongst the chaos.

_Touya was here! He was here, and he was okay!_

"Well, your brother has impeccable timing, I must say." Hugh noted, smiling weakly, before he glanced at the scenario behind the pillar. That meant we had a distraction, and the possibility of getting to that room just improved by twenty percent at least.

"Now…we should make a run for it." Once again, his fingers grabbed onto my arm tightly, as his body tensed with adrenaline, preparing for the sprint. I could feel my heart rise up into my throat, causing every intake of breath to sting my lungs, almost as if I was breathing in acid.

Either way, we had little choice.

"Ready….go!"

Within a second, my body was dragged from behind the pillar, and out into the warzone. I closed my eyes, just following on instinct, running as fast as my legs could go. Hugh's hand never let go of my wrist the entire time, through all the explosions, and the screams of death amongst the battlefield. He was being strong, for both of us, and Arceus I needed that.

Suddenly we came to a stop behind another pillar, and once again, Hugh grabbed me close to him, his chest heaving with every ragged intake of breath. Crimson eyes scanned the area, ensuring there was no casualties and that we made it safely across. Lily was at my side, so she even made it across too.

"Wait a minute…" Hugh muttered, taking another look at the commotion. "Not all of these are Plasma…"

As those words left his lips, I gathered the courage to look at the scene myself. Under closer inspection, it seemed he was right. Team Plasma were in a silver uniform, almost like chain mail, and had that signature TP crossed sign on their chests. The other members were dressed in black, and had some sort of green writing on their chests. From this angle, there was no way to decipher what it meant, but it was obvious they were fighting against Team Plasma.

"Rebels…?" I mumbled. Hugh shrugged a little, still pressing my body close to his, protectively.

"It could be, but right now I don't wanna take any chances." He had a point, we were in the middle of a war zone between opposing forces, and yet they could both be our enemy. We had to play it safe for now.

A window smashed just above our heads, raining down tiny fragments of shattered glass, and within a second, Hugh shielded me from the onslaught. As I closed my eyes tightly, I heard the sounds of footsteps, and shouting voices. More members of Team Plasma? I clutched onto his jacket desperately, too frightened to even open my eyes, and prove that everything was okay.

"Nate…?" It was Hugh's voice, so at least he wasn't dead, or dying. He was still okay.

"Y-yeah…?" With a heavy heart, I finally mustered the courage to open my eyes, and stare back into his own shimmering crimson ones.

"Are you okay?" I nodded; grateful that the rain of glass didn't hit me, but it was never my intention to put my best friend's life in danger just because I was too much of a coward. Gently he plucked a single shard of glass that had made it into my hair, and tossed it onto the floor.

"We need to get into that room…" The door was a few inches away from our current position, but, if the door was locked then for at least ten seconds, if not more we would be critically vulnerable to attacks. That was something I just didn't want to risk right now.

"What if the door is locked?" I asked, flinching as another explosion echoed around us, and the shockwave caused the entire building the shake violently.

"You stay behind this pillar, whilst I check out the door. Keep Lily handy for any attackers, and watch my back. Okay?" I nodded rapidly, trying to calm myself down to a reasonable level. Panicking over the inevitable wouldn't help us right now, and Hugh needed my assistance. I needed to be strong, if just for a little while.

I watched as he moved away, eyes glancing around cautiously whilst he figured out the coast was as clear as it would ever be. With determination lighting up his features, he darted from the safety of the pillar over to the door.

My heart was in my throat, suffocating the pure life out of me as I prayed to Arceus for his safety. His fingers tugged on the door handle, and to my relief it opened, creaking under the pressure.

"Nate, quickly!" He summoned, and within a few seconds, I dashed over to the open door, with Lily hot on my heels. He ushered me inside first, and then closed the door to ensure that right now we were safe.

My eyes darted around the small classroom, noticing that the vibe I received was rather unsettling. Something just wasn't right here. Then I saw her. Rosa, sprawled out on a desk in the middle of the room.

"Rosa!" Without thinking, I rushed over to her, praying that she wasn't dead, or badly hurt.

_This wasn't her fault…she just got caught up in a series of unfortunate events…_

"Nate, don't touch her!" Hugh yelled, and I paused in my actions, my hand hovering inches away from her arm.

_Was something wrong? Did Hugh know something I did not?_

"Why?" With curious eyes I watched as he wandered over to us nervously, scanning the area like a Watchog on patrol. Then, his crimson eyes drifted down to Rosa's unconscious form, and his brow furrowed in thought.

"She's covered with spores. If you touch her, you'll end up falling into a deep sleep. We must be careful."

"Spores?" This was confusing. Why would they subject Rosa to a comatose sleep, whilst the battle raged on? Lily pined in sadness as her large brown eyes watched the form of my best friend, completely oblivious to the chaos around us.

"Hmm…it seems whoever is behind this doesn't want her dead..." Hugh mused, as his eyes drifted up to the stained glass window. He was being cautious, waiting for the next move. However, it did little to calm my nerves.

"We need to get her out of here!" I tried, tugging at the sleeve of his jacket.

"It's impossible. All our routes are blocked, and if we tried to get out I'm sure Plasma would try to stop us." He had a point. We were in a small classroom, with one door that we couldn't use, because if we did then it would be probable that one, or both of us wouldn't make it out alive, and a stained glass window that was far too high up to use.

"So, what? We just stay in here?"

"First, we think of a way of removing those spores off Rosa's clothes, then, we can come up with an escape plan." Chewing the inside of my lip, I contemplated our options. Those spores were a nuisance, and were easily transferrable. If we had a Flying type handy that could use Gust, then maybe we would overcome this, but sadly, Lily didn't seem to know any moves that could help this situation.

"Lily doesn't know that many attacks…" I mumbled. Hugh's eyes diverted to my small companion as soon as those words escaped my throat.

"That's it!" A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips, as it seemed we finally might have some sort of feasible plan. "Lily can use Sand Attack!"

"Do you think that will get rid of the spores?"

"It's worth a try at least. If not then we work on a Plan B." I nodded, trying to find some courage from somewhere. It was the only thing we had to work with, and if it was successful then our situation would vastly improve.

"Okay then. Lily, use your Sand Attack to get rid of the spores." The normal type nodded in affirmation, and used her bushy tail to kick up a dust cloud in a matter of seconds. She repeated the action a few times, until Hugh thought it had taken effect. With a steady hand, he pressed it gently on Rosa's arm, noting that the spores had disintegrated, and there was no possible threat of falling into a deep slumber.

"It worked!"

A wave of relief washed over me for a few seconds, but then I was forced right back into reality with the knowledge that escape was futile, and that now we had to conjure up another plan of action. As I furrowed my brow in thought, my eyes drifted over to Rosa's notebook, which was half concealed by one of her arms.

It seemed she had been writing something, or drawing at least. At this angle, it wasn't very visible.

Slowly I moved her arms, also realising that she held her Xtransceiver in one hand. She must have been trying to contact someone before all of this happened. Hugh noticed the notebook, and swiftly picked it up to inspect her writing. He was silent for a brief interlude, before his voice changed in pitch.

"Black Rose….I wonder what this means?" By this time, I had managed to get a good look at her Xtransceiver, and at the message she had sent before the chaos unfolded. My whole body trembled in apprehension as the words swam mindlessly in my head, repeating over and over.

'_Hey there. Just a head's up. They're on to me- to us. We have to act now! It's a code red, I repeat: code red! I'm counting on you. Please, don't let me down. Use whatever force necessary. We can't let them win! Good luck, and I'll see you real soon!_

_The Black Rose~'_

Once again, I noticed that the message had been sent to the person marked 'C' in her contacts list, and this piece of information sent a cold shiver dancing down my spine in shock. It seemed Hugh noticed straight away, and before I knew it, he was at my side, eyes scanning the device.

"Nate….do you think she's behind the attack that happened here?" He asked me, but right now, no words formed in my throat.

It seemed all bodily functions just became that much more excruciating; for example breathing; right now, my lungs were burning with pain. My eyes were twitching with apprehension, body trembling with fear, nerve endings becoming alive with the dread of imminent war approaching and possible death.

_No…this is not what I asked for…damn you Friday the 13__th__!_

"This has gotta be some sort of sick joke…" He mused to himself, as Lily watched on, helplessly "I mean…she can't be…"

"…with the Rebels?" I finalised, eventually meeting his concerned gaze.

_Right now, my heart was pulsating with a greater pain I'd never felt in my life. I had known Rosa most of my life, and now, right at this very moment…it seemed that the person I knew…didn't exist at all…_

"The exam….that would explain that at least, and the sudden attack on Aspertia, and maybe even that blond weirdo too."

"You think….he was that 'C' person she messaged?" Of course, right now none of us knew what was going on, or the truth behind any of this. It was all speculation, and for all we knew this could be explained easily, or perhaps be even worse than what we imagined.

"Could be…either way, she's still our friend; Rebel or not. We need to get her out of here." I nodded weakly, hating myself for feeling so weak. Hugh had guts, determination, and bravery. No wonder he got the Fighting specialism.

_I was a coward…a submissive Growlithe who wouldn't say boo to an angry Swanna. I was pathetic…_

Our pleasant conversation was cut short by the sound of shattering glass that rained down from above. Instinctively I covered my head with my arms, praying that Lily and Hugh were okay. If they got hurt too…I had no idea how I would cope with that.

I backed away until my legs hit Rosa's desk, and there was nowhere to go. Hugh had somehow ended up on the opposite side of the room, with Lily, and there crouched right in front of me was an ominous black figure.

My breathing suddenly became rapid, as subconsciously my fingers gripped the desk, not knowing what else to do. The figure didn't move, nor did it say anything. It remained stationary for a few moments, allowing a veil of bitter silence to shroud the room.

"Get away from Nate!" Hugh yelled, destroying that veil, as the figure slowly stood up tall.

Half their face was covered by a black mask, so only their mouth was visible. Whoever it was wore a hood over their head, and a large oversized cloak covered their body. It seemed like they were moving in slow motion as they turned to face Hugh, and the growling figure of Lily.

"Nate…" The figure mused, and I was pleasantly surprised by the soft undertone of the voice. I expected something much more sinister and dangerous, but instead of filling my entire body with dread, I felt…strangely at ease.

"Are you deaf?! Back off!"

I could hear more explosions from just beyond the door, it seemed that Plasma and their party were well on their way to discover our whereabouts, and soon. The black-clad figure slowly placed a gloved finger to their lips, indicating without words for Hugh to stop shouting.

As the interlude of silence took hold of us for a brief moment, the figure turned once more in my direction, studying my expression it seemed. They remained stationary, and imperiously calm, before switching glances to the figure of Rosa.

"Wh-what…do you want?" I managed to say, trying my utmost to be as brave as physically possible in this situation. I could see Hugh watching, cautiously, preparing himself for any wrong move.

"We need to leave this place…" Just like that, the figure's gloved hand grabbed onto my wrist, pulling me free from the desk, and causing my body to become unstable.

"Get off him!" Hugh yelled once more, taking a step forwards, before the figure issued for him to stop.

"One more move and your life shall be extinguished…." I shivered at how cold the voice had become, and it gave Hugh little choice. He stayed still, crimson eyes flaring with anger and concern.

_Was this person going to kill him if he dared try to protect me? Was I…going to die…?_

"P-please…d-don't hurt me…I'm…I'm not part of the Rebels!" I blurted out pathetically, allowing fear to consume my body and soul for that weak moment. The figure said nothing, and just pulled me with them over to the semi-circle of shattered glass on the floor.

We paused for a brief moment, which allowed me time to stare at the dark stranger a little more closely. Whoever it was, seemed to be doing their utmost to hide their identity for some unclassified reason.

"I-I…won't tell anyone you're here…I'll-"

"Shhh…" The figure silenced, pressing gloved fingers against my lips, and instantly I became mute. A part of me was terrified that whoever this was would snuff out my life like a candle's flame if I became too much of a burden, so for now, I decided against causing too much fuss. "It's not safe here, we must escape this place."

With a click of fingers and a rush of exhilarating wind, I closed my eyes tightly. Before I was fully aware of what was going on, my body was swept up into the air, conserving this sudden feeling of weightlessness.

When I opened my eyes, I noticed that we were leaving through the broken window on the wings of a Pokemon, and Hugh was calling out to me. My ears couldn't decipher his cries, as I was swept further and further away from the Pokemon Trainer's School, and further away from Aspertia.

Then I noticed my eyes were slowly drifting in and out of consciousness, and I felt something cold and sharp dig into the side of my neck. Before I was aware of it, my surroundings soon became nothing more than an empty dark void.

**XXX**

I awoke groggily to the sound of a burning log fire, and Kricketune's calling out to each other, as the sun started to set, allowing dusk to settle amongst the heavens'. My eyes readjusted to my new surroundings, and I realised that I was in fact very much alive.

Weakly I sat up, noticing that my body was covered with a thick blanket, and I was seemingly in the middle of a forest, sitting on an air mattress. Panic started to settle in, but soon dispersed.

"Ah, I see you're finally awake." Jolting at the sudden noise, my eyes darted around restlessly, until they met the ominous dark figure from earlier, still clothed from head to toe. They sat down in front of me, their concealed eyes seemingly gazing right at me.

"I-I…uh…yeah…" Nothing made sense right now, and my brain craved answers. On the other hand, I felt very unnerved about asking a complete stranger about their intentions, especially when they could easily dispose of me.

"Please, there is no need to be frightened." The figure spoke softly. "I do not wish to harm you."

"So….w-why did you bring me here?" I needed to know. Why did this person, whoever they were, decide to take me away from the impending doom, leaving my best friends behind? Even Lily didn't make the journey. A sigh escaped their lips, as their hooded head tilted up to the night sky.

"You were going to die back then." A shiver raced down my spine, as my heart started to speed up dramatically in my chest.

_I was…going to die?_

"How do you know this?"

"You do not need to concern yourself with such minor details. Just be grateful that both you, and your friends are very much alive." My friends made it too? Suddenly a wave of relief washed over me, and all probing answers I longed to express faded like a distant memory.

_If this person saved me…then I was forever grateful._

"Well…I-I…thank you…" The figure turned slowly towards me, allowing silence to consume both of us for a few moments, before it shattered once again.

"That boy…he said your name was Nate, correct?" I nodded meekly, absent-mindedly clutching the blanket that was draped over my lap. "Well, Nate, I advise you not to go to the choosing ceremony in Castelia City on Monday."

"Wh-what? Why not?" I was slightly unnerved that this person knew of the fact I had to go there on Monday. Had they been watching me?

"You just have to trust me for now." They replied, but of course it was very hard to trust someone who was covered head to toe in black robes, with half their face concealed by an ominous mask.

_How was I supposed to believe that their intentions were good?_

"I…don't know anything about you…"

"I personally don't think now is the time for formal pleasantries, especially considering the threat of imminent war approaches." This person knew about the war too, and probably the whole issue between Plasma dictatorship and Rebel Forces.

Somewhere deep inside, I became concerned that I was nothing more than a pawn in this giant game of chess.

"How am I supposed to trust someone, who I can't even see the face of?" The figure sighed softly, seemingly annoyed with my sudden change in demeanour. Perhaps they enjoyed it better when I was a quivering nervous wreck.

However, to my surprise I didn't receive any spiteful words, or indifferent actions. The figure's gloved hand raised over the mask, until slowly it was pulled away, and with the other hand the hood was taken down to reveal the identity of the person.

I blinked in shock. Upon inspection, this mystery person was indeed female, with long black hair that hung down past her shoulders, and smouldering green eyes, that could easily pierce the hearts of many who dared oppose her. It was weird, I never once thought that this person could be female. Even the voice didn't give it away.

"You're…a girl?"

"Are you surprised?" Now I could actually see her face, and her expressions, I felt a lot more at ease. I still knew nothing about her, but at least this was a step in the right direction.

"I…uh…y-yeah, a little."

"Figures…" She mused, her eyes gazing up at the network of stars that were shining brightly in the sky overhead. "Either way, it is of no importance. What is important is that you heed my words."

I wasn't sure whether she was saying this because she genuinely cared, and wanted to save me for some unspecified reason, or just doing it as some sick joke. Nothing made sense, and even though I wanted answers, I had a feeling this girl wouldn't provide any joy.

"Why are you…doing this?" I asked softly, shyly stealing a glance in her direction.

"I have orders from my Master, nothing more." Once again, I was no closer to discovering the truth behind any of this.

"Your Master? Do I…know him?" She snorted, and closed her eyes, a tiny smirk tugging at her lips.

"You've heard of him, no doubt. However, he knows you, or more importantly your brother." At the mention of Touya my interest piqued, and I sat up straight, desperate for more knowledge.

"T-Touya…?" She nodded, her long black hair waving in the light breeze.

"They were great friends many years ago." I didn't recall Touya mentioning any of his friends, apart from Cheren and Bianca. I doubted her 'Master' being either one of them, besides, it's not like either of them cared that badly about my welfare.

"At one stage, my Master thought the same way as Team Plasma…he became blinded to their ideals, and was used as a mere puppet in their sick and twisted game. Touya saved him all those years ago, and he has never forgotten that."

Once again, I had no idea about any of this. It's not as if Touya spoke in detail about his big journey when he chose his specialism. In fact, he didn't want to ever talk about it to anyone.

"So…he ordered you to save me…?" She didn't nod, or say anything. Her green eyes stared straight ahead, not focusing on anything in particular.

"The war…it approaches, and you have to be ready." She stated calmly, before slowly turning her gaze to mine, emerald green orbs melting into my own. For a moment, I became transfixed by her stare, almost hypnotised, until she glanced away.

"Re-ready?" I stammered, unsure by her words.

"A member in our clan, his Xatu foresaw your immediate future. In a few days, something is going to occur, something that has never occurred in the history of Pokemon as we know it, and that will instantly endanger your life. My Master was informed of this, and immediately sent the order to keep a watchful eye over your antics. That is why, I intervened back in Aspertia."

_Something bad was going to happen to me? A Xatu…saw my future? _

That idea was very unsettling, and I had no idea what I was supposed to say to that. I inhaled deeply, trying to figure out this mess in my mind, attempting to sort out the pieces so they would fit together easier.

"….can I…change what happens?" Her eyes closed briefly, almost as if she were contemplating the answer. Then she shook her head.

"Some events will sadly be inevitable; it is how you deal with them that shall count towards your future. However, if I can give you any piece of advice it will be this; in every flash of pure light, there is always the darkness, waiting to catch you when you fall."

Her words made no sense to me, and it was hurting my heart to listen to this poison. In a few days' time, most likely at the ceremony, my life was going to alter drastically. Events would occur that would probably shatter existence, as I'd always known it.

_How was I supposed to 'deal' with that? Did this girl have any idea who I was?_

"I-I…don't know how…I'm weak…pathetic…"

"You're not weak if you need assistance, or are not strong enough to make it through on your own. You are truly weak when you attempt to struggle through life aimlessly, knowing that no matter what you do it will never be enough, yet you do nothing to change that fact. Remember; if you cry because you feel scared, you're not pathetic, or weak. Having a soft heart, in a cruel unforgiving world is the strongest attribute you can have."

She was trying so hard to make me feel better, and her words were having some effect.

_If I cry about being scared, or anxious about my future, that didn't make me weak? Asking for help, or feeling helpless, wasn't pathetic?_

"You just have to believe in yourself, and your friends. I know it might be hard for you, but you just need to have some self-belief. You've made it this far, right?"

Of course, she was right, but I had been struggling through life since the word go. Always relying on my big brother and mother to pick up to pieces. Perhaps now was the time to start standing on my own two feet.

"R-right…I'll try…" She nodded, before getting to her feet, the wind teasing her hair as it flowed behind her.

"For now you should rest. In the morning, I shall personally ensure your arrival back at Aspertia. I promise that no harm shall come to you." For a strange reason, being protected by someone I didn't even know made my cheeks flush in embarrassment, and weakly I bowed my head.

"Thank you…for everything."

"There is no need for you to thank me. I am merely following orders." For an odd reason, her words stung slightly. Perhaps the knowledge of knowing this was nothing more than a job for her, hurt more than necessary?

"Oh…right…sorry…" Her slim figure wondered over to a mound of pillows and bed linen, which I assumed was her resting haven for the night. We were relatively safe in the middle of the forest after all, so sleeping out like this wasn't an issue. Even though right now, I had no idea what forest we were in.

"Oh…uh, one more thing..." She paused in her actions, not daring to face in my direction.

"Yes?"

"Where are we?" Her gaze shifted to the canopy of trees that surrounded us, and wild flowers native to this area of Unova. None that I recognised.

"A place called Lostlorn Forest. You need not worry. This part of the forest is very rarely explored by people, and Pokemon alike. You are quite safe here." I nodded, deciding to take her cold and indifferent words at face value for now. It wasn't as if I had much of a choice.

"Now rest up. The last thing I need is a cranky sleep deprived teenager following me around…" As she settled down amongst the bed linen, preparing herself to sleep, I just couldn't help but ask once again.

"Can I…at least know your name?" And, as piercing emerald eyes focused into mine, and another blush ignited my cheeks, she finally uttered the words I needed to hear.

"My name…is Nightshade, now shut up and rest."

**XXX**


End file.
